REASSURANCE . . . local NHS officials say there is ‘no undue concerns’ about cladding around the current Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary building
Those were the reassurances this week from NHS Dumfries and Galloway and social landlords.
Questions have been raised over the cladding’s role in the London fire in which 79 people have been confirmed as dead or missing presumed dead, after the blaze that started in the early hours of June 14.
Concerns had since been raised over cladding installed at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in June 1996, but NHS Dumfries and Galloway have sought to reassure members of the public.
A spokesman said: “The cladding used and the method of construction has been assessed and the risk in respect of fire is considered to be low.
“There are no undue concerns, at this time, over the installation at DGRI which would give rise to the need for additional inspection.
“Crucially this is very different from the cladding used in the London building, which we understand was a composite panel where polyurethane insulation is bonded onto an aluminium outer layer.”
Meanwhile, registered social landlords DGHP and Loreburne Housing were also keen to provide reassurance, with Jayne Moore, director of Housing Services at DGHP, announcing a partnership with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
She said: “Clearly as a result of the tragic events, we want to offer as much guidance and reassurance to our tenants as possible.
“To this end, we have already teamed up with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and together we will be visiting every tenant and resident in the these five story blocks of flats.
“Also, unlike the London tragedy, we do not have any high rise properties – the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services have appliances that can reach the top of our flatted blocks and these appliances can readily access our properties.”
Lorraine Usher, chief executive of Loreburne Housing Association, added: “We don’t have any buildings that are over 18m tall, and I’m as confident as we can be that all of our fire safety precautions are robust.
“When I arrived, we reviewed all of our health and safety, and we currently carry out regular fire checks and a monthly inspection programme.”
