Torbay Hospital is 'frail and elderly', MP tells Commons as fire safety row reaches Westminster
Torbay Hospital's Tower Block is an ageing building with known fire safety risks, with the NHS trust that runs it saying it is actively managing the risks through maintenance and practical safety measures.
The plight of ‘frail and elderly’ Torbay Hospital – already hit with an enforcement notice by the local fire service – has been highlighted in Westminster.
Torbay Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling told a debate on ‘Underperforming NHS Trusts’ that the state of the hospital was having an impact on its services.
And fellow Lib Dem MP Caroline Voaden, who represents South Devon, said panic was spreading through the local community.
The NHS trust that runs the hospital said it was managing the risks posed by its ageing buildings and was working closely with the fire service.
Mr Darling told the debate: “I serve the population with the highest number of frail elderly people, and the irony is that our hospital is frail and elderly.
“It is the third oldest in the country, and the poor quality of the estate massively impacts the service that can be delivered to my community. More than 80 per cent of it is not fit for purpose.”
Torbay was promised a new hospital by the previous Conservative government, he said, but is now in a delayed second wave of projects.
“The tower block at Torbay is swathed in scaffolding to stop bits of it falling off and braining patients,” he told fellow MPs. “The chickens have now come home to roost. We need action. We need the cheque that I asked for in September in the post to tackle the fire safety issues in the tower block.
“The staff are doing incredible work, but the patients deserve better.”
And during the same debate Ms Voaden added: “Panic is spreading today in the local community about what this means for future treatment. When things become as urgent as that, with a quarter of the beds in the hospital potentially having to be closed by the fire brigade, the government desperately needs to bring forward the new hospital programme funding.”
Earlier this week the fire service told the health trust it must make improvements across five floors by November 6. The changes are necessary to provide sufficient escape routes.
The number of patients on each floor must be reduced.
The Care Quality Commission also issued a warning notice.
A spokesperson for the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said: “Torbay Hospital is among some of the country’s oldest NHS estate and the Tower Block is an ageing building with known risks linked to its age, design and condition.
“These risks have been actively managed over time through maintenance, practical safety measures, staff training, evacuation planning and ongoing investment.
“The safety of our staff, patients and visitors remains our priority.”