A recent article published by The Guardian highlighted a deeply concerning reality across maternity services in England: approximately 20,000 pregnant women disclose domestic abuse to midwives every year.
Midwives and maternity staff occupy a unique, critical position in healthcare. Often, a midwife is the only healthcare professional a pregnant woman sees regularly and in private, making these routine appointments a crucial window of opportunity to identify abuse and offer a lifeline.
However, the situation on the ground is increasingly difficult. Midwives and healthcare teams are working under immense pressure, navigating overcrowded wards, severe staff shortages, and stressful environment dynamics. When managing sensitive disclosures or high-risk situations, clinical staff themselves are often exposed to vulnerable or unpredictable circumstances. The need for efficient, discreet, and reliable infrastructure both to protect staff safety and to streamline incident reporting.
The Role of Smart Wireless Technology in Healthcare Environments
To support overburdened healthcare workers, hospitals and NHS trusts require technology solutions that seamlessly integrate into clinical workflows without adding administrative friction.
Flic for Business (Shortcut Labs) offers tailored hardware and software integration solutions that turn simple physical interactions into immediate digital actions. By deploying discreet, programmable wireless buttons across healthcare facilities, institutions can build safer, more responsive operational environments.
Key Flic Products for Business & Healthcare Deployments
Flic provides a complete ecosystem designed for scalable enterprise deployments:
1. Flic Smart Buttons
Compact, tactile wireless buttons that can be mounted on walls, under desks, worn on lanyards, or attached to clinical equipment.
- Discreet Panic & Alert Buttons: In sensitive situations; such as a hostile partner accompanying a patient or a high-risk disclosure, staff can silently press a Flic button hidden under a desk or worn on a badge holder.
- Tactile Feedback: Built to provide subtle tactile feedback, allowing staff to trigger an alert without looking or drawing attention.
2. Flic Hub LR & IoT Gateway
The Hub LR and IoT serves as the central bridge for enterprise installations, connecting dozens of Flic buttons across a ward or department without relying on individual smartphones or complex pairing procedures.
- Independent Connectivity: Connects directly via Wi-Fi or Ethernet to local hospital network infrastructure.
- Low Latency & High Reliability: Ensures emergency signals or duty-call requests are transmitted instantly across secure channels.
3. Flic Duo & Custom Wearables
Designed specifically for lone workers, mobile care workers, and community midwives who visit patients at home.
- Mobile Panic Tracking: Pairs directly with mobile devices or dedicated gateways to transmit GPS coordinates and emergency alerts to central security or dispatch teams if a worker encounters danger off-site.
Translating Physical Triggers into Safeguarding Action
Integrating smart buttons into hospital systems (via REST API, MQTT, or dedicated security platforms) unlocks critical operational capabilities:
- Instant, Silent Signaling: Midwives and administrative staff can signal nearby colleagues or security discreetly during elevated risk encounters.
- Safeguarding Workflow Automation: A single press can instantly generate an automated follow-up prompt or logging ticket in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to ensure domestic abuse disclosures trigger mandatory safeguarding protocols without manual delays.
- Rapid Duty Paging: Reduces time spent running between rooms or looking for assistance during high-stress clinical situations.
Supporting the Professionals Who Support Our Communities
Technology alone cannot solve the systemic pressures facing maternity care and public health services, but providing healthcare professionals with reliable, unobtrusive tools can significantly improve workplace safety, reduce stress, and ensure that critical disclosures receive the immediate care and follow-up they require.
By integrating smart button solutions, healthcare providers can safeguard their workforce, streamline critical workflows, and maintain focus on what matters most: delivering compassionate, life-saving care.
Explore Flic for Business at Shortcut Labs
Interested in learning how Flic can support your healthcare facility, lone worker safety, or enterprise workflows? Contact our Team to discuss integration options and custom deployments.
