The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Patients evacuated after car strikes hospital wall
ST ANDREWS: Fortunately building was not in use when the vehicle smashed into it yesterday
Patients and staff were evacuated from St Andrews Community Hospital in the early hours of yesterday when a car smashed into the building and burst into flames.
The silver Audi was embedded in the wall and both the building and the vehicle were on fire after the incident at 2am.
It is thought the vehicle left the road at speed on a sharp bend at the south eastern end of St Andrews.
It careered through a field, knocking down several saplings, before crashing into the hospital and causing significant damage.
The affected area of the building accommodates GP practices and was not in use at the time of the accident.
But a number of in-patients were relocated for a short time while fire services were in attendance.
No one was hurt in the drama but police described it as a frightening experience for patients and staff.
A 27-year-old man was traced at a nearby address a short time later and will appear in court at a later date charged with road traffic offences.
NHS Fife yesterday offered an assurance that while the damage was severe, all patients and staff were safe.
“We have put in place contingency plans to ensure the continued provision of high quality care and we are working to return services to normal as soon as possible,” said a spokesman.
He said in-patient care was unaffected and wards could be contacted in the usual manner.
He added: “Because the GP practice area of the building has been assessed as significantly damaged, we are now in the process of trying to contact patients with existing GP appointments to make alternative arrangements.”
Anyone in need of an urgent GP assessment has been asked to present to the minor injuries unit or contact NHS 24.
Some waiting areas just inside the building’s entrance have been cordoned off for safety reasons but all other areas of the hospital are operating as normal.
“This situation continues to be under regular review and further information will be made available in due course,” said the NHS Fife spokesman.
Dr Jonathan Nixon, a GP at Pipeland Medical Practice, said there would be some problems affecting everybody attending the hospital over the next few weeks and added: “We would be grateful if people could be patient at this difficult time.”
Sergeant Pat Turner of St Andrews police said it had been extremely fortunate that the part of the building where the vehicle collided was not being used at the time.
“This incident had the potential for much more serious consequences,” he said. “This was undoubtedly a frightening experience for hospital residents but staff and emergency services initiated established protocols which resulted in the safe evacuation or all patients and staff.”