LOCAL NEWS THE Northern Trust has been accused of putting patients lives in peril following a major chemical alert at Antrim Hospitals busy Renal Unit in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Four teams of firefighters from Antrim and Ballymena raced to the scene shortly before 1am following reports of a hazardous spill. Thankfully the last of the patients had just left, but with four women requiring hospital treatment suffering from shortness of breath after inhaling noxious fumes, the emergency services were not taking any chances. Ten firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and two in full chemical protection suits spent the next four hours isolating, containing and then absorbing the spill. The Northern Trust initially downplayed the incident, insisting that there had been no impact on the business of the unit. The Trust also claimed that it was the first incident of its kind. This week, however, the Antrim Guardian can exclusively reveal that the Trust had been alerted to the presence of dangerous fumes by a trusted member of staff three weeks ago - and did nothing about it. Furthermore, the Trust may have hampered his prospects of making a long-term recovery by refusing to tell either him or his GP what exactly he had been exposed to. In a statement last night the Trust refused to name the chemicals. Sources have confirmed that the man is now on long-term sick leave battling a range of health problems ranging from blisters on his skin to internal burns to his lungs. Doctors have warned him that there may be worse to come. The Guardian contacted the local man, but he declined to comment - other than to confirm that he had indeed been involved in an incident on August 25. He added that he would be making no further public statement pending an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive. Since the incident others have complained of unusual symptoms, and whistleblowers have broken ranks to voice their concerns about the apparent leak. Like the first victim, they want to know exactly what they may have been exposed to, and for how long. It has emerged that drums of chemicals had been stored in a rubbish disposal room, and while the Trust remains tight-lipped about their contents it is understood that they may have included hydrogen peroxide and peroxacetic acid - a potentially explosive combination that can spontaneously ignite if they come into contact with combustible materials. Exposure can lead to cancer, as well as liver and kidney problems, prompting concerns about the scores of vulnerable patients receiving dialysis each day. Antrimnow Antrim Guardian
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 21:45:23 +0000
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