Understand
Torbay Hospital issued fire safety enforcement notice requiring immediate improvements
Overview
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has been issued an enforcement notice by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service following a July inspection regarding fire safety and evacuation concerns on floors four to eight of Torbay Hospital's Tower Block. The trust is working on plans to temporarily relocate services and reduce patient numbers, while the fire service has given a deadline of 6 November for safety changes to be implemented.
Key points
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service issued an enforcement notice for floors four to eight of Torbay Hospital's Tower Block due to evacuation concerns.
- The hospital trust must reduce patient numbers on each floor, increase evacuation staff, and relocate patients who are difficult to evacuate.
- The fire service has given the trust until 6 November to make the necessary safety changes.
- The trust received £1.8m in government funding in September to support fire safety improvements in the ageing Tower Block.
- The Care Quality Commission is also proposing regulatory action regarding the oversight of fire safety processes following a September inspection.