Combustible cladding found at Edinburgh Royal

EXTRA safety measures are being put in place at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after combustible cladding was found on the exterior following checks in the wake of the Grenfell fire tragedy.

NHS Lothian insisted the building is safe as it announced the plan while further comprehensive tests are carried out. These include controlling access to the building facade by introducing temporary fencing and increasing vigilance and security to prevent unauthorised people or vehicles from coming into contact with it.

NHS Lothian chief executive Tim Davison said: “We take all matters surrounding fire safety very seriously and I would like to reassure patients, the public and our staff the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh has a sophisticated fire prevention system.

“Our risk assessments and the additional measures we have put in place give us confidence the hospital remains safe for our patients and staff.

“This confidence is endorsed by Scottish Fire and Rescue.”

Since June, NHS Lothian has been undertaking a review of all its buildings’ external cladding, including risk assessments and necessary testing.

At the infirmary, which was built under the Private Finance Initiative, this testing and risk assessment has been undertaken jointly by NHS Lothian and Consort Healthcare.