ALL hands were on deck at a hospital yesterday as more than 50 patients from the John Radcliffe Hospital’s Trauma Unit were evacuated after a catalogue of fire safety risks were identified.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) took the decision earlier this week to move the units inpatients after fire safety experts Trenton Fire found that cladding, lack of cavity barriers and alarm system had been putting patients’ lives at risk for 15 years.

Estates staff from OUH moved equipment, refurbished two ward areas and painted the wards in under a week.

The trust’s director of clinical services Paul Brennan said: “I want to give huge thanks to all the staff from the trust and to our other local partners who have helped make this move possible.

“I would also like to thank our patients for bearing with us while we made this move and I hope they are new settling into their new wards.”

The patients have been moved to wards on levels seven and four of the main John Radcliffe building/

Carillion portering and cleaning staff have moved patients, equipment and deep cleaned the new wards in preparation for their new patients.

During yesterdays’ move, four wards were in operation, which required additional staff to man all the patients.

To accommodate the additional beds in the main building, the trust worked with social service staff from Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust to enable patients ready to leave hospital to go onto their next stage of care.

It is expected that changes to the Trauma Unit will take up to a year to carry out.

Although the fire safety report deemed the unit was not suitable for inpatients, the ground floor outpatient clinic area will remain open and the upper floors will continue to be used as office and storage space.