STAFF and patients were evacuated from Kidderminster Hospital following a 'chemical leak' which caused appointments to be cancelled.

Fire crews from across Worcestershire and an ambulance with paramedics were called to the hospital on Thursday morning (November 23).

Staff at the Endoscopy Department at the treatment centre discovered that a fluid used to clean endoscopes in the decontamination room had leaked.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said the fluid is a substance that is found in many disinfectants and smells like a strong bleach.

A spokesperson said: "Staff in the area immediately followed the correct procedure for events like this and vacated the area.

“No patients were affected by the leak, and those staff who entered the area have been checked over by clinical staff as a further precaution.

“The area currently remains closed as engineers and fire service staff are involved in the clean-up and fixing of the equipment.

“We have had to cancel some appointments this afternoon and we apologise to our patients for any difficulty this has caused them. Our aim is to reopen the unit as soon as we can be sure it is safe to do so.”

A fire brigade spokesperson said: "Six Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews – two from Wyre Forest, two from Bromsgrove and one each from Worcester and Malvern Fire Stations – plus the environmental protection unit from Tenbury Wells and the incident command unit from Ledbury were called at 10:37 on 23 November to Kidderminster General Hospital to assist with a hazardous materials incident.

A West Midlands Ambulance spokesperson added: "We were called at around 10.40am to an incident at Kidderminster General Hospital on Bewdley Road and sent an ambulance, three paramedic officers and the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) to the scene.

"Following a thorough search working with fire colleagues, there were no patients found needing treatment by ambulance staff and we were stood down".