Dozens of patients and NHS staff were evacuated on Thursday after a blaze broke out at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, prompting a swift response from emergency services.
The London Fire Brigade deployed 60 firefighters and eight fire engines to tackle the blaze, which ignited in a ground-floor linen room in the hospital’s Clarence Wing. Thanks to prompt action by the fire crews, the fire was swiftly extinguished and no injuries have been reported.
Thick smoke forced hospital officials to relocate patients and staff from nearby wards as a safety measure. In a statement, the hospital confirmed the fire was “small and contained” but said precautionary evacuations were carried out due to smoke spreading through parts of the building.
“London Fire Brigade are on site and the fire is out,” the hospital said. “We have temporarily moved patients and staff from wards and areas affected by smoke. Other buildings on the site remain unaffected. All services, including A&E and planned care, are running as normal this afternoon.”
Officials also confirmed that patients should continue attending scheduled appointments unless contacted directly.
The London Ambulance Service and Metropolitan Police were also present at the scene, although no further statements have been issued at this time.
St Mary’s Hospital is among London’s most historic medical institutions and is renowned for its private maternity ward, the Lindo Wing, where several members of the Royal Family have been born. The tradition began with Princess Anne, who gave birth to Peter Phillips there in 1977, followed by her daughter Zara Tindall in 1981.
The incident remains under investigation, but hospital services have largely returned to normal following the fire.
