Fire warnings yet to be fully dealt with at eight hospitals

Eight hospitals in England have fire safety warnings attached to them, with half in place since 2022 or earlier, HSJ can reveal.

All are enforcement notices issued by fire brigades when serious risks are not being managed. Issues raised include risk assessments, maintenance, and emergency routes.

There were more than 1,300 fires across the NHS trust estate in 2022-23, according to official estates data, which was an increase of 18% on the year before.

NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said the figures highlighted the “urgent need” to address maintenance backlog – which includes fire safety – across the NHS estate. The overall backlog figure has been growing yearly and is approaching £12bn.

Ms Cordery said: “Greater capital investment is essential to enabling a safe environment for patients and staff.”

Rory Deighton from NHS Confederation said more than a decade of underinvestment was behind the “dilapidated” state of the NHS estate.

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Source: HSJ, 5 April 2024