Ambulance on fire at St Helier Hospital
4 September 2009
The smoke has cleared, the dust has settled, and staff at St Helier Hospital have had time to survey the damage caused by the recent fire.
On 1 September 2009, the hospital declared a major incident as two ambulances caught fire in an internal roadway which runs along the side of hospital buildings.
John Davey, the Chair of Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Vice-Chair Jan Sawkins visited the scene today (Friday 4 September 2009) and met members of staff involved in the incident, including Richard Hammond, the Trust's interim General Manager in pathology who was the first to raise the alarm.
Richard said: "I saw the ambulance on fire through the window and immediately set off the hospital's fire alarm. What amazed me was that - instead of just evacuating - pathology staff who work in laboratories next to the fire went to other parts of the hospital to help the nurses move patients away from the affected areas.
"When the fire had been put out, they cleared away glass and other debris so that they could get back into the lab and many stayed late to finish the day's work.
"It's so impressive, in a situation like that, to see staff just pick up a broom and start sweeping. It's the attitude that makes the NHS what it is."
During the fire, more than 100 patients were moved to safety from wards in the hospital's C-block. These wards run alongside the road where the fire was and were in danger of being filled with smoke or, worse still, catching light. The patients were moved to B-block, but were able to return within a couple of hours.
Tracy Smith is Head of Nursing for General and Emergency Medicine and was one of the first on the scene. Along with the Director of Nursing, Pippa Hart, Tracy led the evacuation from C-block. She said: "I am very proud of the nurses and other members of staff who acted in such a quick, professional and calm manner to move so many patients away from the affected areas in such a short time. Staff also stayed late that night to make sure that patients were reassured and to offer any additional support they needed."
Peter Coles, the Trust's interim Chief Executive, said: "Thanks to the professionalism of hospital staff and the emergency services, only four people suffered minor injuries from the hundreds of patients, staff and visitors who were in and around the hospital at the time. Furthermore, the impact on the running of the hospital was kept to an absolute minimum.
Interim General Manager for pathology Richard Hammond who raised the alarm, with Vice Chair Jan Sawkins, Director of Nursing Pippa Hart, and Chair John Davey surveying the damage
"What is becoming clear as we survey the damage caused is that the hospital also had a sprinkling of luck on Tuesday. Approximately 150 windows were broken when cylinders in one of the ambulances exploded, there has been smoke damage to both the outside and the inside of the hospital building and the tarmac of the roadway itself was also damaged by the heat. As well as the quick-thinking of staff and paramedics, we are also lucky that more people were not hurt.
"We have already started to clean and clear the areas affected and windows have been boarded up and made safe, prior to them being replaced. The damage caused by the smoke itself means walls will need to be cleaned and painted, and carpets and ceiling tiles replaced. We are also carrying out a structural survey to check that the building itself hasn't sustained any long-term damage."
John Davey added: "It was great to meet some of the staff affected by the fire and to be able to thank them personally for their absolute professionalism during and after the incident."
