NHS Security Standards Scoping

To provide consultancy expert support to commence the scoping and stakeholder engagement piece around the Security Standards for the NHS in England.

The requirement is for the provision of specialist support to undertake the initial scoping, strategic development, and stakeholder engagement activity required to establish a new suite of NHS Security Standards for England, with engagement and alignment across the Devolved Nations. The developed standards will be designed to support providers across acute, community, mental health, and ambulance services, ensuring a consistent and proportionate approach to security governance and assurance across the healthcare system.

The work will encompass the development of a comprehensive and sustainable NHS Security Standards framework aligned to the four core security domains of:

• Strategic Governance
• Inform & Involve
• Prevent & Deter
• Hold to Account

The programme will also ensure alignment with Government’s CONTEST Strategy (the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy) and the requirements of the planned legislation, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act (Martyn’s Law), arising from recommendations within the Manchester Arena Attack Inquiry report.

In addition, the work will establish clear links with related NHS England programmes, including Violence Reduction initiatives, Domestic Violence programmes, and the Special Allocation Scheme, ensuring a joined-up and system-wide approach to safety, security, resilience, and safeguarding across the NHS.

The commissioned support will provide subject matter expertise, strategic analysis, stakeholder coordination, policy development, and assurance framework design, enabling NHS England to establish a modernised and sustainable national security standards framework following the closure of NHS Protect in 2017/18.