Terrorists 'may have access to deadly viruses in NHS hospitals'
Lax security in Britain's hospitals could give terrorists working in the NHS easy access to deadly viruses and dangerous chemicals, an expert has warned today.
The warning comes just days after it emerged that seven of the eight people held over the failed car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow had links to the NHS.
Hospitals are "just as vulnerable as any nightclub", a security management specialist based in a London hospital told the Health Service Journal.
The unnamed security expert said thefts of lethal substances could go unnoticed for days. He told the journal: "Most hospitals give staff cards that let them into certain areas, but it's easy to lend someone your pass."
"That could give them access to x-ray machines, isotopes, chemicals and disease slides. It could be days before anyone realised a virus was missing."
'Vulnerable'
He added: "The official view is that the threat to hospitals is fairly low, but we're just as vulnerable as any nightclub - these people want maximum impact."
The problem could be made worse by weaknesses in vetting of hospital employees, the journal reported.
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