Fire breaks out at Coventry's University Hospital forcing evacuation

A FIRE at Coventry’s University Hospital has forced an evacuation as smoke is seen billowing from an upper floor.



Emergency services have rushed to the scene and there have been no injuries reported as yet.

First reports of the fire came in at around 8.30 this morning.

The West Midlands Fire Service tweeted: “We currently have 8 fire crews and a hydraulic platform in attendance at University Hospital Coventry.

“There is a confirmed fire in an extractor flue from a boiler room.

“A phased evacuation has taken place and no injuries are reported.

A spokesperson for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust said:

“We can confirm that this morning (Wednesday 7 March), there has been a small fire in an outpatient building adjacent to the West Wing of University Hospital, Coventry.

“West Midlands Fire Service was called immediately. The fire is now out, after a team of firefighters attended our site.

“We have needed to move a small number of patients, who have been safely taken to other areas of the hospital. No further evacuations are needed. There have not been any injuries.

“We would like to thank West Midlands Fire Service, and also our staff who took quick action to respond to this incident.”

The Trust has since indicated it is back running smoothly.

"The Trust has since indicated it is back running smoothly." That'll be a first then?

Mum's currently in there. I'm visiting tonight, so hope the hoo haa has died down.

Mum's currently in there.

Sorry to hear that Rebbonk, I hope everything works out okay.

MP demands answers over fire safety at Coventry's hospital

Answers are being demanded on fire safety at Coventry’s University Hospital after a blaze broke out on the site this morning – more than 18 months after a report revealed the hospital was built without proper fire protection.

Geoffrey Robinson, MP for Coventry North West, has requested an urgent meeting with the hospital’s chief executive Professor Andy Hardy to find out whether work identified back in 2016 has been carried out.

Back then, a joint investigation by West Midlands Fire Service and hospital bosses found there were holes in fire compartment walls at the £380 million hospital – walls which are supposed to stop fires spreading.

Mr Robinson said: “Fire safety concerns have been identified two years ago and now a fire has broken out today.

“The question is could that have been prevented?

“Knowing fire safety concerns have been raised two years ago, we just need to find out if all the reported measures have been taken.

“We know what pressures the NHS is under and the relationship with the private finance initiative developer [Skanska], have they been quick enough in addressing all the fire safety concerns?

“We do not want to see a reoccurrence of this.”

Mr Robinson added: “I’ve written to the hospital’s chief executive Mr Hardy enquiring whether the work which was required at the hospital two years ago have been proceeded with and have been completed, and if not, why not.

“I’ve also asked him to please give me an urgent meeting on the fire this week.”

It was Robinson who forced through the building of Walsgrave by a private consortium against the wishes of the local council!

Mum's currently in there.

Sorry to hear that Rebbonk, I hope everything works out okay.

Thanks Dutchman. Things aren't good, but you hope for the best.

Talking to her last night she wasn't even aware that there had been a fire! Though she is at the opposite end of the hospital.

Faulty fire safety walls at Coventry's hospital still won't be fixed until the end of next year



Vital safety work to prevent fires spreading at Coventry’s University hospital will still not be finished for another 21 months.

A report published in January this year for the hospital’s Public Trust Board showed work to fix holes found in fire compartment walls at the hospital was still ongoing.

The breaches in walls at the £380 million hospital were discovered in 2016. It was estimated then that it would take two years of round-the-clock work to fix the issue.

A fresh report written in December 2017 and discussed at the January meeting said that two years of work was needed to “fully remediate all shortcomings across the site”.

The revelation comes after a fire spread up the side of the Walsgrave -based hospital’s west wing building on Wednesday.

Geoffrey Robinson, MP for Coventry North West , told the Telegraph that he was requesting an urgent meeting with the hospital’s chief executive Professor Andy Hardy to find out whether the work identified back in 2016 had been carried out.

A spokesman for the hospital said a “significant proportion” of the work to fire compartment walls had now been completed.

Hospital staff have been praised for their response to Wednesday’s fire.

The same Geoffrey Robinson who forced through building of the new hospital against the wishes of the local council!