NHS Cumbria has decided to equip its lone workers with panic alarms as a means of ensuring their safety.

The health service trust provides primary care services at a number of locations in the region, including at hospitals, GP surgeries and dental practices.

Each of the new alarms will be connected to a central system that will allow staff to contact their colleagues discretely when they are in trouble and need backup.

The panic alarms distributed by NHS Cumbria are among the 30,000 devices that have been given out to frontline NHS staff across the nation.

As well as alerting colleagues that trouble is brewing, the security pendants also pinpoint a worker's exact location, making an effective response easier to mount.

Commenting on the introduction of Loneworker Solutions at NHS Cumbria, Unison official Dallan McGleenan told the News and Star: "Risk is inherent in the job. The alarms are just another bit of equipment which is there to ensure our safety."