Brave Nurses Defy Cordon

When a stolen car fire burned into the Gas Main Interchanger causing a huge blast followed by a 40 foot flame the police immediately imposed a 2 mile exclusion zone isolating staff and patients at VRCC, the Essex based 24 hour Veterinary Referral Centre. Fortunately, this was at 7am on Wednesday 18th April when the 24-hour Centre was lightly manned and with only 5 in-patients. VRCC routinely has over 30 Dog and Cat in-patients. As part of their Health & Safety procedures VRCC has an evacuation plan, which was immediately put into effect. An on-going part of this plan is to always have a lead on each patient’s dog kennel and a cat cage instantly available for each feline inmate. By the time VRCC Practice Director Malcolm Holland was on the scene at 7.15am he was quickly joined by 2 of VRCC’s dedicated nurses Marie Stockwell and Susan Keefe who had bravely passed the police cordon despite being warned that there was a very real risk of a large explosion. The patients and staff were then speedily secured in the Air Conditioned Practice Ambulance and driven a couple of miles to a nearby pre-arranged property where they were safely housed and a temporary base established. Phones were re-routed, operations, procedures and treatments were cancelled or postponed, appointments changed and appointments lost, causing huge disruption to the usually smooth running day-by-day operation of this busy Referral Centre which is the most advanced Private Centre in Europe for the Treatment of Cancer in Dogs and Cats. VRCC treats Radiotherapy Patients on their 6 million volt Linear Accelerator from all over the UK and now parts of Europe so a large number of clients and patients were severely inconvienced. Minimising disruption and ensuring continuity of lifesaving Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy treatment has forced Clinical Director Dr Susan M North to provide treatment all over the weekend to clear the backlog. ‘Our prime concern is always the well-being of our patients.’ The site was re-opened at 4.00 pm and VRCC staff were able to move back into their 10,000 sq.ft. Centre and resume normal working soon after. Malcolm Holland said that the team at VRCC had been magnificent, quickly and skilfully adapting to the sudden and dramatic change of circumstances. We were fortunate to have had plans already in place and extremely comprehensive insurance to cover the substantial loss that we have incurred. I recommend all Practices to take a good look at both their Insurance Cover and Evacuation Procedures to make certain they are well prepared for this sort of occurrence.

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