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Children flee Ormond St blast
Rob Singh, Evening Standard29.09.08
Scores of critically ill children were evacuated from Great Ormond Street Hospital today after a fire and explosion rocked its cardiac wing.
Up to 40 patients fled the blast believed to have been caused by a medical gas cylinder on the sixth floor. Staff rushed children from affected wards to other areas as soon as fire broke out.
Many children due to have operations had already been anaesthetised and were woken up before being rushed away.
Up to 35 firefighters and six engines were sent to the scene at 8.30am. Around 300 people were moved outside the hospital onto nearby Queens Square. The blaze was under control just before 10am and the hospital reopened soon after. A Fire Brigade spokeswoman said four firefighters suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital as a precaution.
Eyewitnesses said there was glass everywhere as children - some still in hospital beds - relatives and staff were evacuated. No children, parents or staff were injured in the blast, the cause of which is under investigation.
Parents arriving with children were told there would be no outpatients' appointments or planned procedures today but emergency procedures were being carried out.
Chris Gowing, 33, from Ipswich, was with his two-year-old daughter, Caitlin, who had an appointment for her glaucoma. He said: "The problem is, she hasn't-been able to eat anything because she was due to be on anaesthetic later."
Dr Prince Sajjad was with his 12-year-old disabled daughter Iqra for her three-month check-up. He said: 'She is getting quite distressed and I am worried. It has taken us three hours to get here on buses from Southall."
Kimberly Batchelor, 29, travelled from Northampton. She said: 'This is the yearly appointment for my sixyearold son, Ethan. We've come a very long way. Making another appointment will take several months and it's the travel and travel costs that are a problem."
Great Ormond Street chief executive Jane Collins said: "We were able to successfully evacuate the children to different parts of the hospital including over the road to our patients' hotel.
We have started moving patients back."
She added: "All the children were evacuated and depending on how ill they are they went to the appropriate place. Children who are particularly unstable were moved to the paediatric intensive care unit."
Up to 335 children are treated in Great Ormond Street's 29 wards which was founded 1852. There are 1,215 doctors and nurses as well as auxiliary staff.
Another London hospital, the Royal Marsden in Chelsea, was hit by fire in January.
Hundreds of patients had appointments for surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy postponed following the blaze, which destroyed most of the roof and wrecked at least five operating theatres and two wards.
Reader views (5)
Anon and Andy you are a prize pair of idiots. I hope you never have a sick child that needs somewhere like Gt Ormond Street hospital. The stress of have a sick child and making a long journey with that child is immense. They know they are lucky to be alive and not hurt.
My son was in the cardiac unit a month ago so I know the stress's involved without having a fire thrown in to the equation as well. GROW UP
- Nick White, barley, herts. England
Andy Packer, I agree with you as I said in my previous message that GOSH staff and the emergency services should be commended. Maybe in future you could comment on a whole message rather than a section of it. Also a child going to GOSH means it is not well...your sarcasm is rude and uncalled for.
- Rachel Beadle, St Austell, Cornwall
What a shame that Rachel had a wasted 6 hour drive or that the other parents had made the trip on a series of buses only to find they had to go home again. What about the four firefighters who nearly died!! One has gone back to work but is still feeling unwell and the others are on sick leave. Last I heard one of them was still in hospital.
Get a life and be thankfull that your alive and well!!
- Andy Packer, Bournemouth, Dorset
I arrived at GOSH with my son Seth for his 6 monthly appointment in orthopedics at 2pm for a 2.30pm appointment to be informed that all appointments had been canceled due to a fire, I was a little put out as we live in Cornwall which is a 6 hour drive, they said that they had called and left a message, unfortunatly this was on my home number in Cornwall (I will give them my mobile number in future), but these things can't be helped, my heart goes out to the parents and patients who were about to go in for there operations. No children where hurt which shows that GOSH operational plan was a success and that they should be commended along with the emergency services.
Rachel
- Rachel Beadle, St Austell, Cornwall
How crass can these parents be. One is concerned because his child is hungry and another because they have had an adventure on a series of buses. They are alive and unhurt, surely there is a moral to this story. Be glad to be alive.
- Anon, UK
