NHS Tayside is taking steps to protect patients, staff and buildings from terrorist attack.
Ninewells Hospital’s site manager, Brian Main, said an attack like the one on Glasgow Airport could happen at the hospital, and health boards across Scotland are being urged to step up security.
Areas of Ninewells already have the capability to “lock down,” sealing off areas in a crisis a capability the hospital is looking to extend.
Mr Main said the balance is always between keeping people safe and allowing patients and visitors easy access to NHS buildings and services.
NHS Tayside was the first health board in Scotland to hold an “Argus” (area reinforcement using scenarios) event, organised by police specialising in counter-terrorism last autumn.
Such events help organisations prepare for a terrorist attack, consider how they would deal with such an attack and recover from it.Airport attackMr Main confirmed an attack such as the one at Glasgow Airport, in which suicide bombers rammed the front of the terminal building, setting it and themselves on fire, could happen at Ninewells.
Counter-terrorism specialists from Tayside Police have been working with NHS Tayside, challenging the organisation to think how it would respond to a terrorist attack.
“We were shown a DVD of a terrorist bombing in a bus station,” said Mr Main.”One of the suicide bombers didn’t go off and was a casualty, brought into hospital in an ambulance with the bomb still in his rucksack.
“All of a sudden you’ve got another problem.”
Mr Main said the scenario was fictitious, but was designed to make people think what could happen.
Asked if people should report unattended bags left around hospitals and health centres, he said, “I would do that anywhere. If I was in a hotel and saw such things, I would be at reception telling them.”
He said NHS Tayside would be working to increase awareness of the issues in coming months and take steps to improve security.