Following Sunday’s suspected suicide bomb attack outside a maternity hospital in Liverpool, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) has changed the threat level for terrorism from substantial to SEVERE. This is a precautionary measure but means an attack has been assessed as highly likely.
Police have stated that they are unsure if the women’s hospital was an intended target or if the device that had been constructed had exploded prematurely, but this highlights the importance that hospitals continue to be of high regard as part of a nations critical national infrastructure and that we do everything possible to ensure they remain secure and fully operational at all times, and staff have the proper training to be able to deal with any such incidents.
NHS officials have now been tasked with urgently reviewing all of their security arrangements in place to ensure that staff are prepared to know how to act and stay safe if their hospital is targeted by terrorists in the future.
Many hospitals have already increased their security provision due to staff having experienced a surge in assaults during the Covid period, but they still remain open places where you are able to access areas by car or by foot quite easily without the need to pass through any security checks.
Should we increase front of house security at hospitals with airport style security measures or would that create an unnecessary fortification of public amenities where hospitals then become a frightening place to visit ?