Sunday 26th June 2011
Fire damage images courtesy of MPE Photographics

SUNDAY 26th JUNE - 21:30
Chesterfield Hospital has tonight released details of what s likely to be happening tomorrow on site after the devastating fire which happened around 24 hours ago.

Photographs (below) have also been released tonight by the hospital showing the true nature of the destruction inside the main entrance/ shop area.

The key messages are:
 
• All services open -
Out-patient appointments and in-patient operations to run as planned (with some location moves as necessary - see below). Patients who are registered with our mobile text messaging service will receive a text to tell them they can still attend for appointments

• Fracture clinic and orthopaedic out-patients to run from Staveley Ward (use Visitor's entrance and park in 5 or 6)

• All other out-patients will be directed through a small entrance (next to the usual main entrance) - temporary booking in receptions will be in place

• A&E services operating a limited service - patient reception area much reduced in size.  Reminding patients of other options - GP, pharmacy advice, walk-in centres (Derby/Sheffield)

• Other main entrance services will work from other locations on site and there will be updates during the coming week.

• Ambuline patient transport will be based in Scarsdale Wing entrance, as will booked admissions (also in suite 1)

• The hospital says that the main entrance area is likely to take months to reconstruct and are asking patients to work with them during this unprecedented incident.

SUNDAY 26th JUNE - 13:45

Fire fighters handed the scene over to Chesterfield Royal Hospital at around 10.30am this morning, but are still on site assisting the hospital’s estates team with their early risk assessments.

The fire service has completed their investigations; and the fire is confirmed to have started in the hospital’s main entrance newsagents.  An electrical appliance fault was the cause of the blaze.

The fire - although restricted, thanks to the fire resistant construction in the area - has caused considerable damage to the main entrance, parts of the A&E reception facility and the orthopaedic/fracture clinics.

The hospital's estates team is continuing to examine the damage and decisions about the possibility of relocating services are being taken. 

As a starting point, from Monday, June 27th, patients attending for orthopaedic and fracture clinic out-patient appointments will be seen on Staveley Ward.

NOTE: THE VISITOR’S ENTRANCE SHOULD BE USED TO ACCESS THIS SERVICE  WITH PARKING AVAILABLE IN CAR PARKS 5 AND 6.

Some main entrance services (booked admissions and the Ambuline transport facility) will move to Scarsdale Wing entrance.

The A&E department has now re-opened and is operating limited services, but the hospital is asking local people to consider other available options for minor injuries in particular.  "In an emergency or life-threatening situation the course of action is always to dial 999," comments Head of Communications Sarah Turner-Saint (pictured left).

"But there are other options for minor problems.  Walk-in centres, out of hours GP services and pharmacy advice etc may be an alternative for some and would help us to establish services over the coming 48 hours."

Emergency patients who were taken by ambulance during the night to other hospitals in Sheffield, Rotherham, Mansfield and Derby will be repatriated to the Royal as soon as possible, as long as they are clinically safe to travel.

Chief Executive of the Royal, Eric Morton comments: "We are facing long-term disruption, particularly in the main entrance, where thousands of patients book in for their appointments each day.  We will be operating temporary facilities and will ensure patients know where to go when they arrive.  Although we will try to ensure services run as smoothly as possible we realise there will be some inconvenience.

"Our main aim however, is to keep services up and running for local people and we ask for everyone's understanding during this unprecedented incident."

There are no plans to cancel appointments or operations.

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