Hospital bosses have praised the quick actions of staff in the Accident and Emergency department at Bristol's biggest hospital after a man walked in and allegedly said he had a bomb.
Patients in the A&E department, next door to the Minor Injuries Unit and other hospital departments at Southmead Hospital, were evacuated and a major incident emergency plan was put into place amid dramatic scenes in north Bristol this morning. The North Bristol NHS Trust has confirmed that the knock-on effects of the incident, which saw patients being wheeled up to a nearby leisure centre and the bomb squad arriving at the hospital, are still ongoing this evening, Thursday March 10.
A statement from the North Bristol NHS Trust thanked the public for co-operating with the evacuations, and for their patience in having appointments postponed.
As it happened: Southmead Hospital incident LIVE: Patients 'evacuated' as armed police called to scene
"We can confirm that a suspect package discovered this morning in our Emergency Department has been declared safe by police," a statement from the NHS Trust said. "We’d like to thank the public for their support during this time and their help in keeping our staff and patients safe.
"We’d also like to thank staff for their quick actions and responsiveness. Our Emergency Department and surrounding areas have now reopened, and visiting has been reinstated," they added.
But outpatient appointments were cancelled for the rest of the day. "Outpatient appointments remain cancelled for the remainder of the day in order for us to deal with the knock-on effects of today’s incident," the trust added. "We apologise for this disruption and thank the public for their patience. There are exceptions - outpatient appointments will continue in: Women’s and Children’s; the Breast Centre; Dialysis; Chemotherapy in the Medical Day Unit and the Rosa Burden Brain Centre.
"Thank you to our local healthcare partners, Avon and Somerset Police and Avon Fire & Rescue Service for their help in manging this incident. Anyone needing urgent medical help should contact NHS 111," the trust added.
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