Altnagelvin Hospital to undergo assessment of fire safety precautions following Grenfell Tower fire

Altnagelvin Hospital is set to undergo the assessment of its fire safety precautions following the Grenfell Tower fire.

Seventeen people have died in the fire in West London with the number expected to rise.

The cladding - installed on the tower in a recent renovation - has come under scrutiny, with experts saying a more fire resistant type could have been used.

Several wards had at Altnagelvin had to be evacuated in November 2012 due to a fire at the top of an 11-storey building.

Around 50 firefighters and 11 fire appliances attended the scene but nobody was injured.

The NI Department of Health has announced that it has asked all health trusts to do an 'immediate assessment' of their fire safety precautions at their hospitals and buildings, including 'checks on the type of cladding used'.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “All necessary precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of staff and patients.”

A spokesperson for the Western Health Trust (WHSCT) said: “In line with the recent Department of Health communication to all HSC bodies, the Trust is undertaking an immediate assessment of fire safety precautions of Trust facilities including checks on the type of cladding used. All necessary precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of staff and patients.”