All fire risks at Homerton’s neonatal ICU now addressed, hospital confirms

Neonatal intensive care staff look after very ill newborn babies. Photograph: Karen Abeyasekere

The final piece of fire safety work due at Homerton Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit has been completed, a spokesperson has confirmed.

In March 2016, the London Fire Brigade served Homerton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with an enforcement notice demanding fixes for a catalogue of safety failures at the ward.

The hospital expects the notice to be lifted next week.

The notice related to eight separate failures at the unit, including not carrying out a “sufficient” risk assessment, not establishing an appropriate escape plan and not providing “adequate” fire fighting equipment.

The hospital told the Citizen in November that the majority of the issues were addressed in 2016, and that a 31 December 2017 deadline for “remedial work to be completed” related to just one outstanding problem.

The deadline, which had been extended three times and pertained to a “failure provide adequate fire separation between floors only”, was met on time.

A hospital spokesperson said: “Work was completed on schedule by the end of December.

“We were visited by the Fire Brigade Inspector on Tuesday. He has given us verbal confirmation that the notice will be lifted. We expect that in writing next week.”

Commenting on the work in November, the hospital’s chief executive Tracey Fletcher told the council of governors: “Unfortunately it has been necessary to decant some of the maternity service beds from the adjacent ward, Turpin, to the 2012 ward, resulting in elective orthopaedics also having to move to Defoe ward.

“Despite this move being required with very short notice, the operational and divisional management team in Surgery, Women’s and Sexual Health have handled the changes swiftly and effectively.

“However, it must be noted that this removes our winter escalation ward provision for the next few weeks with elective orthopaedic surgery being accommodated there.”

The hospital spokesperson added: “This was a very short term movement of beds and services in the hospital which was managed smoothly by divisional managers.

“The winter escalation plan is put in place as early in the year as possible and involves bed management planning within the hospital and close liaison with colleagues at the local authority, third sector and GPs.

“Homerton is one of only two Trusts in London to meet waiting time targets in A&E during November and continues to manage the demands on its services well.”