Hospital A&E closed after fire
A fire which closed the emergency department of a Derbyshire hospital was caused by a fault in a drinks’ fridge, fire investigators have said.
The fire which broke out in the emergency department of a Derbyshire hospital on Saturday night is thought to have been caused by a fault in a fridge in the hospital newsagents.
The emergency department in the Chesterfield Royal Hospital was closed and patients were taken to nearby hospitals in Sheffield, Derby, and Nottingham.
The incident was attended by 10 engines and it took 60 firefighters until after midnight to put out the fire.
Although the hospital is open again, the Accident and Emergency departments and fracture clinic suffered serious smoke and fire damage.
Eric Morton from the hospital said: “We are facing long-term disruption particularly in the main entrance, where thousands of patients book in for their appointments each day. We will try to ensure services run as smoothly as possible, we realise there will be some inconvenience.”