Altnagelvin patientsfaced fire death risk

STAFF and patients at Altnagelvin faced a “very significant risk of death or injury” due to inadequate fire precautions at the hospital’s main Tower Block whilst old electical cables and non-compliance with fire codes were known to have been a problem for over a decade.

A recent report by the Health Estates Investment Group (HEIG), which has been obtained by the Sentinel, found that non-compliance with fire codes at Altnagelvin meant a higher risk of fire spreading in the hospital.

It warned that old electrical distribution systems and Vulcanised India Rubber (VIR) cabling across the Western Trust added to the general fire risk.

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Equally, boiler houses, sewerage pumps and chimneys across the Trust were found to be in poor condition and at risk of failure or collapse.

And student medical accommodation used by foreign students at Altnagelvin were not up to acceptable standards.

The report reveals that the fire risk at Altnagelvin was explicitly acknowledged as long ago as 2001 when a report found non-adherence to fire codes and standards for existing hospitals.

And a review in 2007 found that there was “a very significant risk of death or injury in the advent of fire to staff and patients using the Altnagelvin Tower due to inadequate fire precautions.”

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“The problem is accentuated by raised fire risk associated with the deterioration of VIR covering to electrical wiring used through out the building and the potential for any fire outbreak to spread along services routes, ducts etc,” the five year old review found.

The authors of the 2007 review also warned that some of the bed wards in the Ward Wing contained more than 30 patients and that if a fire broke out in the central core most patients would have to be evacuated via a staircase.

“Depending on the mobility of the patient and the intensity of the fire this could be an extremely difficult and hazardous task for nurses/staff on duty at the time and who may themselves be suffering from the effects of smoke.

“While it is hoped that the fire brigade will arrive quickly and bring any fire under control there is still the possibility that the fire could spread to other floors affecting many more patients and staff who may be located higher up the building and with potentially dire consequences,” the warning reads.

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Since then a number of remedial actions have been implemented to shore up Londonderry’s creaking hospital facilities and not only to reduce fire risk.

For example, in 2009/10 £495k was allocated from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) budget to the Trust to centralise medical gas storage and manifolds at Altnagelvin Tower Block.

A further £535,000 of Maintaining Existing Services (MES) funding was allocated in April 2011: much of this was to address fire hazards at Altnagelvin.

Incredibly, £20k had to be forked out to replace a twenty-year-old fire alarm system in Anderson House, Altnagelvin, which had regularly been showing earth faults because of the risk posed to twenty in-patients housed in the unit.

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And a new boiler at the hospital was also earmarked for installation at a cost of £175k because there was risk of failure with the old coal fire model.

On all Western Trust sites including Altnagelvin and Gransha boiler chimneys were scheduled for repair at a cost of £85k due to “significant engineering service failure/collapse risk.”

But despite these improvements the report said further work was required to make the hospital safe.

“Assessing risk levels across the Trust points to the Altnagelvin Hospital Tower Block as presenting the highest current residual risk in terms of health and life safety.

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“Altnagelvin Hospital has undergone substantial - yet still only partial redevelopment in recent years, which has reduced some estate related risks.

“Many fire safety risks identified withing the Tower block have yet to be addressed.

“The next two phases of the redevelopment programme were intended to focus on the Tower Block and associated decant accommodation.

“The fire stairs currently under construction will help mitigate some of the risk associated with evacuation but the does not address the risk presented by VIR cabling throughout the building.

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“Following the completion of phases 2A and 2B, a further investment of an estimated £80m will be required to refurbish the tower block and resolve the fire and other risks from cables, engineering systems and the building itself.

“Secondary to the fire safety risks of the Tower Block, are limitations in the resilience of the site energy infrastructure and its capacity to meet the increasing demand and the developing of site facilities.”

The Sentinel asked the Western Trust for its response to the MES report.

A spokesperson stated: “The Western Trust is continuing to take forward Business Cases, with the DHSSPS, for the phased redevelopment of Altnagelvin Hospital, as part of its Strategic Redevelopment programme.

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“The Trust recognises that it is also necessary to undertake, in parallel to this process, an investment in the existing Tower Block infrastructure. “Significant investment of over £5m has been invested over the past two years for provisions for fire safety, including provision of a Tower Fire Lift, the relocation of service/maintenance areas rooms; upgrades to electrical and mechanical services and replacement and upgrading of plant facilities.

“The Trust has recently received further allocations in excess of £2.5m and plan further infrastructural improvements to the Tower Block.

“The Trust will continue to work with the DHSSPSNI to make sure Altnagelvin Hospital continues to remain fully functional, safe and compliant with health and safety legislation.”