Bristol cancer hospital cautioned by fire service over blaze

Eight floors of the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre were affected by the blaze

A cancer hospital which caught fire two years ago has been cautioned by the fire service.

No-one was injured but 53 patients had to be moved out when the blaze took hold at the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre on 10 May 2018.

Avon Fire and Rescue said it decided on a caution despite having "sufficient evidence to prosecute" as a fine would "draw money away from patient care".

United Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust said it "accepted this caution".

The fire started in the early hours of the morning in the plant room on the ground floor of the hospital

Eight floors were affected and the fire service implemented a full evacuation.

Steve Quinton, from Avon Fire and Rescue Service, said investigators discovered "a number of fire safety failings".

He said at the time of the fire "adequate measures were not in place for securing the means of escape safely and effectively".

The fire in a plant room sent smoke billowing through the building

Other failings included "inadequate fire separation in the lower ground floor plant room, enabling the spread of toxic smoke and flames".

There was also "inadequate emergency lighting to allow escapees to use the means of escape safely".

Mr Quinton said: "We were able to demonstrate that the case passed the evidential and public interest tests to proceed and we were confident of securing a successful outcome in the courts.

"Our concern was any fine imposed on the trust would have drawn money away from patient care and fire safety works."

Robert Woolley, from University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We identified a range of improvements in our fire safety precautions, immediately putting preventative measures in place and allocating funding to a programme of building improvements in all of our hospitals.

"We have addressed all of the areas of concern that the fire service identified in the haematology and oncology centre."