PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Hospitals: Fire Prevention (17 October 2018)

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, National Health Service organisations must, as far as is reasonably practical, ensure that everyone on the premises are safe in a fire situation. Therefore, they must consider the ban on combustible cladding as part of the regular fire risk assessments they carry out on their estate when they have new developments or refurbishment. This will include whether it applies to all walls irrespective of height.

As part of the NHS response to the Grenfell tragedy a review of cladding used on NHS properties was undertaken and 10 were identified with buildings that used Aluminium Composite Material. Mitigation actions were immediately implemented, with the agreement of the Fire and Rescue Services, with plans being put in place for its removal and replacement. The Department is funding this work.