Hospital Patients who fleed fire treated for smoke inhalation
Posted: June 3, 2013
Posted in: Medical Negligence Public Place Accidents
A fire broke out at Stoke Mandeville Hospital on Saturday – causing four of the hospital’s patients to require urgent treatment. Three patients had to be treated due to smoke inhalation, and the other sustained a minor hand injury when trying to flee the building.
The fire broke out in ward four – positioned on the second floor of the Aylesbury hospital – resulting in a total of 53 patients being evacuated. Three surrounding wards have been affected by water and smoke damage. Potential visitors to wards 4, 5 and 7 were warned not to attend visiting hours as the hospital’s accident and emergency teams were managing a concentrated service.
A total of 40 firefighters came to the hospital to put out the blaze, and it has also been praised that they simultaneously assisted with the evacuation of the hospital’s patients. Neil Boustred, the fire service group manager, commended the fire fighters: “Crews tackled the fire within very hot, arduous conditions, confining it to the area of origin, while assisting the hospital staff to evacuate patients.“
Reasoning is still unknown
The hospital’s reduced A&E service is still running as a result of this fire – encouraging potential patients to seek other methods of treatment such as going to out-of-hours GP services and local pharmacists.
Both the trust and fire service are carrying out investigations as to why this fire broke out as the reasoning is still unknown. However, despite the slight issues that have stemmed from this worrying occurrence, none of the hospital’s patients, or staff, have been seriously affected.
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