BUILDING materials used on Oxfordshire's hospitals are believed to have been given the all-clear following government tests carried out in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Some 38 NHS trusts across the UK were supported carrying out urgent fire safety checks by national regulator NHS Improvement.

All of these 'Priority One' trusts have launched 24-hour fire warden patrols.

Cladding samples taken from three sites in London, Sheffield and Middlesex have now failed combustibility tests set by the Buildings Research Establishment, meaning they are not considered safe and will have to be removed.

But the Oxford Mail understands that Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has had samples tested and is among 11 trusts to be told no further action is required for now.

Only buildings covered with aluminium composite (ACM) cladding similar to that used at Grenfell Tower, where at least 80 people perished following the blaze last Monday, are currently thought to pose a fire risk.

A further 18 trusts, which the regulator is refusing to name, have carried out fire safety inspections and been stood down, while five are still waiting for cladding test results.

OUH is responsible for the John Radcliffe Hospital, the Churchill Hospital and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington, Oxford as well as the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Last week Paul Brennan, the trust's director of clinical services, said: "Patient and staff safety are our highest priority. We will implement any changes necessary to ensure our buildings are safe."

NHS Improvement said the three trusts that had failed ACM tests would 'take all necessary steps' to ensure safety but there would be 'no disruptions' to patient services.