A health trust’s chief nursing officer has praised the “phenomenal” response from the community after fire tore through a local hospital.
The blaze broke out at Malton and Norton District Hospital at about 11:15 BST on Wednesday, engulfing the Springwood unit which provides mental health services for older people.
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said all 15 patients had been safely evacuated, with no reports of any injuries.
Joe Hague from the trust said: “It was an amazing response – really, really well put together and enacted.”
A temporary ward was set up at Malton School and local businesses provided food and drink to tired volunteers.
Hague said: “Mr Williams, the head teacher, describes an amazing scene of looking out and seeing staff colleagues walking up the hill, pushing beds with patients in, and colleagues supporting with equipment that was needed to keep everyone safe.”
The chief nursing officer said he did not know when the hospital would reopen, but added: “We’re hoping it’s not going to be a prolonged outage for the organisation or for the buildings.”
He said patients with upcoming appointments should check the trust’s website for further information.
