Royal Marsden Fire

[AbbyDawg]

Have been watching with great interest ... and a few prayers ... the fire at the Royal Marsden Cancer hospital & research center in London. I do know it was the first cancer hospital in the world ... founded about 1851, I think, and that it still is a treatment hospital as well as a large research facility.

I don't think it is as bad as they thought earlier, for a while it looked as the whole building was at risk. Now seems it tooks the roof, surgical suites, and they are doing some prayerful doublechecks to be certain all research was backed up elsewhere. And a true miracle was that they got everyone out of the hospital.

I haven't been on the board long, but I seem to remember some here are from England and Ireland. Could you let us know a bit more of what has happened than the sound bites we see on CNN? And does anyone know any possible ramifications due to projects and treatments centered there? I have to admit I felt selfish when one of my first thoughts was about any connection they may have to the Tykerb TEACH study I'm in.

We do have to keep these places in our hearts and prayers. They are as sacred as any of the cathedrals.

AbbyDawg

[AbbyDawg]

I decided to Google them and see if I might find what research they are involved in and saw this update on their website:

Website:


Following the fire which occurred at our Chelsea hospital earlier today, there has been a high volume of visitors to the RMH Website. Consequently our web servers are struggling to respond in a timely fashion and you may have found that the site content takes a long time to be displayed, or possibly produces error messages.

If you wish to continue and read further about the services which the RMH provide, please follow this link to the main RMH website.



Fire Update:

There has been a major fire at The Royal Marsden Hospital on the Fulham Road in Chelsea.

The hospital has been fully evacuated in line with its fire procedures and staff are following directions given by the London Fire Brigade.

79 inpatients, all outpatients and our staff have been safely evacuated and staff continue to co-ordinate their care in local facilities with the assistance of other healthcare professionals. There are no reported casualties.


A helpline has been established to provide up-to-date information for patients, their families and carers.

Information about future appointments and planned treatments will be provided as quickly as possible via the helpline.

Helpline numbers are:

0208 770 9395
0208 661 3836
0208 661 3839
0208 770 9683

[Christine MH-UK]

The damage was mainly to the roof. Only one office, a physical plant room, and a large section of the roof are completely wrecked. The rest is being cleaned and renovated.

The outpatients is expected to open on Monday. All of the patients have either been transferred to the other part of the Royal Marsden, which is not nearby, or to a neighbouring hospital.

I have heard that research is not likely to be affected because there are two separate locations for the Royal Marsden.

The amazingly thing was they managed to transfer two patients who were undergoing surgery at the time.

[Christine MH-UK]

Hi Abbey,

From tonight's news, it sounds like the outpatients will open up on Monday.

Only a bit of the roof, an office and an physical plant room were completely destroyed. The rest is being cleaned and renovated.

The inpatients have been transferred to a neighboring hospital or the Royal Marsden's other location. The Royal Marsden also has a hospital right outside London, which is expected to help in keep its research going in the current circumstances.

The amazing thing is that two patients were transferred mid-surgery!