Northwick Park fire stairs were obstructed, says patient

Michelle Witton, of Willesden Green, was in Gray Ward on Wednesday, February 11, when smoke from a fire at a power station in the lower levels began wafting into the ward block.

Staff scrambled to evacuate around 170 patients but Ms Witton claims nurses initially tried to lead her and around 20 other women into a lift.

She said: “I have had workplace fire safety training at which we have been told never to get into a lift during a fire, unless it is a fire lift.”

The nurses changed their minds and the group was led down the emergency stairs, which Ms Witton said were “filling with smoke”.

She said: “I was alarmed and disgusted to see that the fire stair, on many floors, was obstructed with large black bin bags full of rubbish, a number of wooden chairs and littered with beer cans and cigarette packets.

“The staircases were filthy dirty – obviously not inspected and cleaned for years.

“If we had had to move down the staircases quickly, given many of the women had had surgery, our exit would have been slowed by the rubbish and obstructions – which could have led to injury and death.”

She says the nurses were “well-meaning” and no-one was injured in the blaze but Ms Witton has called for fire safety training for staff and regular fire safety inspections.

Fiona Wilde, a spokesman for North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Northwick Park, said Ms Witton's complaints were looked into at that time.

She said: “As she has written to us with a formal complaint we will be responding to that letter in full as part of the complaints process.

“However, we can say that we very much welcome Ms Witton’s observations because we have already reviewed our incident procedures in the light of the fire in February and her personal experience on the day is valuable as part of that process.

“We very much take Ms Witton’s comments on board and will be writing to her with a full response shortly.”