London hospitals treat hundreds injured in blasts

SOME have missing limbs. Others have to undergo operations on wounds penetrated with indented stone, debris, glass or metal.

The Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London, said it had treated 61 patients from the bomb attacks. Of those, 13 were admitted and all were in a stable condition, although one person was serious but stable.

A hospital spokeswoman said they had been treated for a range of conditions from lacerations and smoke inhalation to shrapnel wounds as well as one nasty burns injury.

The remaining patients had been treated and discharged, the majority had minor injuries.

The Royal London Hospital yesterday said 26 victims of yesterday’s bombings were still being treated, with seven in intensive care.

.Meanwhile, Great Ormond Street Hospital was still treating four adults injured in the bombings, two of whom were described as in a “serious” condition. A total of 38 victims of the attacks were treated at St Mary’s Hospital which is just 300 yards from the Edgware Road tube blast scene.

Ten victims were still in hospital, two critical with multiple injuries and eight critical but stable. The 28 others had either been discharged or transferred to other specialist hospital units.

Head of communications at the hospital Claire Burroughs said: “Casualty staff said they saw in a day yesterday what they would normally experience in a year at A&E.”

University College Hospital said later it had treated 61 casualties from the bombings, including one adult patient transferred from Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The vast majority of these patients had minor injuries. Twenty-three were still admitted, including five in intensive care. Twelve of the patients seen were foreign nationals.

Professor Jim Ryan, a senior consultant in accident and emergency, said most of the operations were on limbs.

“You have penetrating wounds, indented stone, debris, glass or metal. There is also head injury management, and lung inhalation, and injuries to the chest.”

Queen Elizabeth visited the injured in hospital.

Bruce Lait, 32, a professional dancer from Ipswich, Suffolk, who suffered a burst eardrum and facial lacerations in the first Tube bomb received a boost yesterday when the Queen spoke to him on a visit Mr Lait was sitting beside his dance partner Crystal Main, 23, on their way to a rehearsal for a forthcoming show when their carriage was ripped apart by the blast which killed seven people.

“I’m very thankful to still be here,” he told the Queen.