Liverpool bomb: Hospital boss praises 'brave and dedicated' staff

The blast is being treated as a terrorist incident

Liverpool Women's Hospital's chief executive has praised her "brave and dedicated" staff and patients for how they coped after Sunday's explosion.

Kathryn Thomson said the last two days had been "extremely upsetting and traumatising" for her colleagues.

She also thanked patients and visitors for the "co-operation and and patience" they had shown during and after the incident.

Services had now returned to near normal levels, Ms Thomson added.

Patients are no longer being diverted to other hospitals, and appointments are going ahead unless patients are informed otherwise.

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Police are treating the blast on Remembrance Sunday as a terrorist incident.

A taxi exploded outside the main entrance at 10:59 GMT on Sunday, killing taxi passenger Emad Al Swealmeen.

The injured driver, David Perry, was able to escape his cab before it was engulfed in flames.

He has since been discharged from hospital and has been widely praised for his actions.

Four men arrested in the Kensington area of Liverpool - three aged 21, 26 and 29, who were held on Sunday, and a 20-year-old man who was detained on Monday - have been released without charge.

Services are now said to be running as near to normal as possible

Liverpool Women's Hospital receives about 50,000 patients annually and is the largest hospital in its specialism in Europe.

Ms Thomson said she was "proud" to have "so many brave and dedicated colleagues" who worked "during the most upsetting of circumstances to keep our patients safe - in particular, the members of staff and public who were first at the scene of the incident and came to people's aide".

She also thanked Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency services and agencies who had supported the trust "and helped to keep everyone safe".

Ms Thomson, who said she had received countless "messages of solidarity and support" from "across the city, the country, and beyond", also sent her "best wishes" to Mr Perry and wished him a "speedy recovery".

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the head of the NHS in England, Amanda Pritchard, also praised staff at the hospital who "really focused on maintaining services" despite a "really difficult 48 hours".

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