Fire safety failings uncovered at Hereford hospital
Inspectors visiting Hereford County Hospital have reported that the fire safety measures at the facility are ‘inadequate’, potentially putting the lives of patients, staff and visitors at risk.
Following the inspection, which was carried out last month by officers from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, a number of problems were flagged up. Some parts of the hospital building were found to be in violation of fire safety rules, and inspectors also found that if a fire broke out at the hospital, it could quickly and easily spread. It is not known whether inadequate fire safety training was part of the hospital’s failings.
An enforcement notice was served on Mercia Healthcare and Wye Valley NHS Trust, the organisations which run the Hereford County Hospital, ensuring that the required changes are made to fire safety measures at the facility by June 2013 at the very latest.
Commenting on the findings of the inspection, the chief executive of the Wye Valley NHS Trust, Derek Smith, said:
“We were doing some work on the hospital building which found some parts don’t appear to be meeting the current fire regulations.
“Modern fire safety standards are very high and Mercia Healthcare will be carrying out the work as soon as possible.”