Potential deathtraps in old people's wards at Runwell Hospital have led to patients being moved while urgent repairs are carried out.

Some have been moved to dining rooms for their safety, it was revealed yesterday (Monday).

The fire perils came to light when the new South Essex Mental Health and Community Care NHS Trust commissioned a comprehensive health and safety report as soon as it was formed in April.

A spokesman said the report highlighted serious concerns which "unfortunately appear to have been a problem for some years". They included insufficient and combustible partitions and insufficient smoke and fire detectors.

To eliminate the hazards, urgent refurbishment work is being carried out.

Emergency measures already taken include moving some vulnerable Runwell patients to the dining room for their protection, and others to Mayflower House in Billericay.

The Rochford Hospital building was due to be refurbished as part of the Runwell reprovision plans.

The Trust spokesman said that, as the patients concerned are elderly and frail, too many moves would be disruptive for them.

They are due to move into two new purpose-built community homes in Westcliff and Rawreth in the next couple of years, but they will now stay in Rochford until their new homes are ready.

The new Trust's chief executive, Patrick Geoghegan and director of mental health services, Eunan MacIntyre, have discussed the plans with the patients' relatives who are said to be "very supportive" of the prompt actions.

Mr MacIntyre also praised staff, who had been "brilliant".

He said: "They have helped make what could have been a difficult situation into a demonstration of how we can work together for the benefit of patients. We have moved heaven and earth to get this done."

He said the new Trust put patient care and safety as its highest priority and had immediately taken action to ensure that patients are no longer at risk.

Mr Geoghegan is also holding meetings with Rochford staff on Wednesday to give an update of plans.

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