Discarded cigarette fire 'caused critical incident'

A fire at a hospital in Nottingham was caused by a discarded cigarette outside its A&E, hospital bosses said.

Crews attended the fire in the emergency department of the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) on 2 January.

On Thursday, Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust said a cigarette outside A&E started the blaze, which resulted in the trust "going into critical incident".

Dan Grundy, NUH's fire safety manager, said: "This incident demonstrates the unnecessary risks associated with smoking on our sites."

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said a fire was located in a structural void - a gap between two walls or ceilings.

In an update on social media in the early hours of 3 January, the trust said teams "acted quickly" to move a number of patients out of the department to receive care while the fire service responded.

The buildings and grounds of the QMC, Nottingham City Hospital and Ropewalk House have been smoke-free since 2006.

The trust is calling on the public to support them in stopping all smoking on site following the blaze.

It said anyone who wished to smoke must leave the hospital grounds, which includes entrances, walkways, car parks and green spaces.

Tom Jenkinson, emergency and acute care general manager, said: "The incident meant a small number of patients were relocated as a precaution and we temporarily paused admissions into A&E whilst the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service assessed the situation.

"We are grateful for the support given to us by the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and thankful that no patients or staff came to harm."

A spokesperson for the fire service said: "Incidents like this are a reminder of the importance of fully extinguishing cigarettes before disposing of them. Failing to do so can easily start a fire, especially if they are discarded with combustible materials."

Dan Grundy, NUH's fire safety manager, said: "We would like to remind all patients, visitors, staff and contractors that our hospital grounds are a strictly no-smoking environment."

Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.