Safety first: Alarms being introduced for Hawke's Bay DHB community workers

District nurses Kirsten Malcolm and Amy Andrew alongside business systems analyst Rudi Lategan after returning home safely to base. Photo / Supplied

Safety is being put at the forefront for Hawke's Bay District Health Board employees who work in the community.

The HBDHB is rolling out personal safety alarms to its community-based teams to provide an additional safety net for health professionals often working alone.

HBDHB Business Systems Analyst Rudi Lategan said the technology provides real-time comfort should staff ever feel vulnerable and unsafe.

"If something goes wrong and they feel unsafe or need emergency support, they can activate an alarm which is picked up immediately by our 24/7 call centre team," Lategan said.

"At the beginning of a shift staff essentially activate a 'session' or time period of their shift. When they arrive at a location they can simply press the button once to check-in, which pinpoints their location on a map."

Get Home Safe, the technology behind the safety button solution, was trialled by HBDHB late last year.

It is an app that speaks via Bluetooth from a button which can be attached to clothing.

Lategan said the teams have a process to follow to check on a colleague's wellbeing, including requesting emergency services if necessary.

The HBDHB have confirmed the technology will be rolled out to all community-based teams over the coming months.

But those working in remote rural locations will be prioritised as soon as a compatible satellite device is trialled and confirmed for use.

Community nursing clinical nurse manager Maree Gladstone said she welcomes this extra safety net for her team.

Gladstone said the job the community nurses do is amazing and is one they wouldn't change for the world, "but sometimes things can go amiss".

"It is comforting and reassuring to know that should this be necessary; the staff have the added support the Get Home Safe technology provides," she said.

District nurse Amy Andrew was involved in the DHB's trial of Get Home Safe late last year.

She said the button is user friendly and discreet.

"Should we need help we know that within seconds our Call Centre will be on to it and obviously if we ended up in a car accident in a remote area, we know we'll be found through the GPS," she said.