Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Weybridge fire incident report, published by NHS Property Services in May 2018, whether recommendations 4a. and 5a. have been implemented.

NHS Property Services advised that in response to recommendation 4a, NHS Property Services should review their portfolio of properties to identify the construction type, with particular reference to timber frame buildings, NHS Property Services already holds a lot of information on the construction of its properties. There is however a programme underway to allow NHS Property Services to comprehensively document the construction types across the whole portfolio and manage the fire risks accordingly. NHS Property Services is working closely with the Department and NHS Improvement on these projects and on fire safety in general with other National Health Service partners.

Recommendation 5a was that NHS Property Services should ensure learning from Weybridge Hospital is shared with the wider NHS and other stakeholders. In response to this recommendation and following the publication of the report, meetings were held with both NHS England and NHS Improvement to discuss the recommendations to ensure any wider lessons for the NHS could be shared. These discussions are ongoing as fire safety within NHS Property Services buildings continues to be a focus for the organisation.