A Northumberland hospital has had to reassure staff and patients after fire safety concerns were raised over a new building under construction, reports the ChronicleLive.

The Cramlington hospital is currently adding a new ambulatory ward, but a worker at the hospital has raised concerns about the project, reports the paper.

During the work, firefighters from Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service have been offering advice to correct “minor defects”.

However, fire hoses have been laid out outside the building, prompting the worker, who chose to remain anonymous, to fear that there was a fire risk.

They told the ChronicleLive: “The only reason why a hospital would have fire hoses outside if the fire brigade had a huge concern about the fire safety at the hospital.”

Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service said they do have hoses on the hospital grounds, but stressed it was “purely as a precautionary measure”.

The Trust said that the replacements are part of “standard practice snagging” works, where minor faults have been found in the new building.

They also say that staff have mandatory fire training every year.

A spokesperson from the Trust told ChronicleLive: “As with any construction project of this scale, we are working closely with our colleagues in the fire service to ensure the very highest safety standards are met.”

Original source

Chronicle Live