Security Matters: the lone-working fraud investigator

The National Health service has been doing more and more in recent years to protect its staff against violence and abuse. In particular, lone workers have been the subject of a concerned effort to develop policy, procedures and hardware to reduce offences against them. However, writes Ann De Vere of the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service, one group of lone workers is not often thought of in the context of people who need protection – fraud investigators.

Ann De Vere, NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service, tel +44 (0) 20 7895 4535; email: Anne.devere@cfsms.nhs.uk; www.cfsms.nhs.uk/commercial/index.html

The definition of lone worker used by the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) is anyone who, during their work, spends any time on their own and lacks the immediate support of colleagues. This could be regular or occasional, and in the community or a regular place of work – the title of lone worker is not unique to any particular group of staff, working environment or time of day.