Patients at a Dublin hospital that has been identified as having significant fire safety risks are to be transferred to another hospital.
Hume Street Hospital, which specialises in dermatology and treats about 20,000 patients a year, confirmed yesterday that patients would be transferred to St Vincent's hospital.
It said the board of the hospital, following a Comhairle na nOspidéal report on dermatology in 2003, informed the Department of Health it would not object to the transfer of its dermatology service to St Vincent's.
However, following its receipt of a report from fire safety consultants indicating that fire precautions in the hospital buildings were "below an acceptable level", the board had now decided, "in the interest of patients and staff and in consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE) and St Vincent's University Hospital, to accelerate the orderly transfer of dermatology to St Vincent's", its chairman said.
In his statement Matt O'Brien added that members of staff at Hume Street Hospital were aware of the situation and would be kept informed of developments and of the proposed new transfer programme.
He did not indicate the timeframe over which patients would be transferred.
His statement indicated the Department of Health was informed two years ago, following the publication of the comhairle report, that the board of the hospital wished to continue in public healthcare, even if dermatology services were transferred to St Vincent's.
He said an estimate of the cost of the necessary improvement works required at Hume Street was now being prepared in consultation with the HSE and future options for the hospital were being examined.
Hume Street Hospital is an independent charitable institution founded in 1911.
Details of the consultants report on fire safety issues at the hospital were reported in last Saturday's Irish Times.
It highlighted inadequate fire escape facilities and said if fire authorities were to inspect the building they would issue a notice under the Fire Services Act requiring the closure of the building until improvements were carried out.
Hospital board sources indicated fire cover was only being provided by the hospital's insurance company on a month-to-month basis. Mr O'Brien's statement indicated the insurance company raised concerns last year about fire safety and requested a fire alarm be installed. One was funded by the Eastern Regional Health Authority.
The HSE said it was working with the hospital so that the issues identified in the consultants report could be dealt with.