Salisbury Novichok poisoning medics 'still traumatised'

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia survived the poisoning attempt

People who helped save the lives of a poisoned father and daughter say they are still traumatised by the events.

Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in Wiltshire in 2018.

Police officer Nick Bailey along with two members of the public, Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess, were also poisoned. Dawn later died.

Dr James Haslam said the situation made him "totally exhausted".

Sergei and Yulia, along with Mr Bailey and Mr Rowley, all survived the attack.

Dawn Sturgess died after spraying herself with Novichok from a perfume bottle at her partner Charlie Rowley's home

They were all treated at Salisbury District Hospital's intensive care unit, where Dr Haslam was part of the team. He said it was a pressurised time.

"We all felt some measure of trauma - it could have been a work of fiction it was that crazy. It was an immense amount of pressure, it felt like the stakes were very high," he said.

"I was totally exhausted, emotionally, physically, mentally."

'Callous beyond belief'

Dr Haslam was speaking to a BBC podcast presented by Katie Piper marking the fifth anniversary of the events, and hearing from local people involved.

• What happened to the Skripals?

• Could suspects be returned to UK?

On finding out that his patients were contaminated with Novichok, Dr Haslam said: "I remember being extremely angry at the time. It's callous beyond belief.

"In some way it made me more determined we did the absolute best to make sure we got these patients through."

The poisoning victims were treated at Salisbury District Hospital

Former director of nursing at Salisbury District Hospital Lorna Wilkinson said the staff were worried for their own safety when treating the patients.

"I was worried right from the beginning, that worry never left us," she said.

"I was worried not only about the acute impact of any potential self-contamination, but also were there any risks of any low-level chronic exposure to the substance.

"We're all still processing what's happened to us and to our community".

'Devastated' by death

Ms Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother-of-three, died in hospital as a result of contact with Novichok.

Her partner Mr Rowley unwittingly gave it to her after finding the nerve agent in the city disguised in a perfume bottle.

An independent Inquiry into the circumstances of her death will continue this year.

The discovery of the deadly nerve agent triggered a huge security and health response

Tracy Dasciewizc, former director of public health at Wiltshire Council, said Dawn's death had left her "devastated".

"Even now I can feel how I felt. You can't begin to process it, devastated doesn't even come close," she said.

"I don't think I ever will process it. I don't necessarily see that as a negative, I see this as an enormous thing I was a part of.

"There are a whole community of us who know what it was like to be in that space."

Russian agents accused

The UK believes Russian military intelligence officers Anatoliy Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin smeared the military-grade nerve agent on the handle of former spy Sergei Skripal's front door.

In September 2021, a third man, senior Russian agent Denis Sergeev was accused by security forces of being part of the poisoning.

The chairman of the public inquiry has promised a "rigorous investigation" of potential Russian involvement into Ms Sturgess' death.

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