Hospital spokesperson 'relieved' at low number of casualties in UK train crash

Kevin McGee, chief executive of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay which runs the three hospital sites which took those injured from the train crash in Cumbria last night, admitted he had been expecting more casualties.

Five patients with serious injuries remain at the Royal Lancaster Hospital, where the elderly woman who died was also taken.

Mr McGee said: “At 9.15pm last night we went on to major incident alert at our three hospital sites which is the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Furness General Hospital and Westmoreland General Hospital.

“That includes bringing in significant numbers of additional clinical nursing staff and also support staff.”

Routine work at the hospitals was also stood down during this period.

“We also mobilise the flying squad of senior clinicians from this site (Royal Lancaster) who went to the accident site and triaged patients,” he added.

“I think it’s fair to say we were geared up as an organisation to take more injured patients and obviously we were very relieved that the numbers were as they were.”

He added that Westmoreland General in Kendal took eight walking wounded. Seven have been released but one was transferred to Furness General in Barrow with internal injuries and is currently being assessed.

Eleven patients in total were taken to Lancaster. One, defined as walking wounded has been released with a further four classified as intermediate. Two of these have so far been released.