Amicus safety reps are victimised

Two union safety reps in Leeds have been victimised after raising concerns over fire safety at hospitals built under the Private Finance Initiative.

Leeds Mental Health Trust fire safety officer Chris Hindle, a member of Amicus professional union, faces disciplinary action after giving evidence to a scrutiny committee of Leeds City Council over alleged shortfalls in design and building standards at three of the trust's hospitals. Amicus health and safety rep Paul Cockcroft is under investigation over the same issue.

"These buildings provide intensive nursing and medical care to hundreds of very vulnerable people," said Hindle. "Yet the fire safety standards are based on what is known as 'patient hotels' which, as the name suggests, are basically hotels. It is unbelievable that this could be allowed to happen. A hospital is a hospital and these patients deserve hospital standards of fire safety."

An independent fire safety report in May backed these concerns, highlighting "serious deficiencies" in the design and construction of the three centres.