Patients moved to safety at Royal Hospital

Around 200 patients have been moved to safety at the Royal Victoria Hospital today as a precautionary measure after an acetylene tank on a building site went on fire.

Belfast Health and Social Services Trust activated its major incident plan - creating a 200 metre safety zone around the tank. This led to the evacuation of some parts of the main hospital.  In line with fire safety instructions a 24 hr cooling period is required.

 All Out Patient clinics have been cancelled for tomorrow morning and people are asked to ring their normal Out Patients number for appointments in the afternoon.

Some elective procedures have also been cancelled and the patients involved will be notified this evening. All cardiac surgery and plastic surgery will go ahead as usual.

All other services on the RVH site will continue including those in Children’s and the Maternity hospital.

There may be some disruption to planned procedures at Musgrave Park Hospital tomorrow as emergency fractures are being diverted to that hospital.

Patients involved in plan procedures are being asked to ring Musgrave Park Hospital to check if they are going ahead.

Dr Tony Stevens, the Trust's Medical Director  paid tribute to the calm and professional manner in which staff across the site dealt with the incident.

"Safety of patients is our number one concern and now that this has been secured we are working to ensure there is as little disruption to services as the week continues", he said.

Any one visiting the Royal Hospitals should use the Grosvernor Road entrance only until further notice.