Mystery illness closes children’s A&E
PART of the Stepping Hill children’s department was closed after staff mysteriously began falling ill.
The children’s A&E department was shut for several hours late on Saturday afternoon after staff began suffering from sore throats.
Fire crews were scrambled to the hospital including a hazardous materials team - as a precaution after the alarm was raised at around 4.20pm.
Part of the children’s department was evacuated and cordoned off as the incident unfolded.
Specialist firefighters carried out tests and discovered relatives of a youngster being treated in the ward had brought in a sample of pepper spray which had caused an eye irritation.
The spray ended up getting into the hospital’s air conditioning system, and was breathed in by staff as it spread through the halls.
A spokeswoman for Stepping Hill stressed that staff suffered no longterm damage and everyone made a full recovery. She said the incident lasted around three hours - and that there had been no reports of problems on Sunday.
Other young patients continued to be treated in a different part of the hospital while tests were carried out so as not to disrupt their care.
The paediatric A&E department reopened at around 7pm.
Following the evacuation, passers-by reported cars being turned away from the site, in Hazel Grove, and staff congregating outside.