SOME areas of Tomaree Hospital were evacuated on Sunday as staff detected smoke in the building.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Emergency services were called to the site about 11am to reports of a possible fire.
The smoke was thought to be coming from an air conditioning vent on the premises. Some areas of the hospital were evacuated as a precaution while NSW Fire and Rescue crews investigated the source of the smoke.
No fire was found and the area was deemed safe.
Hunter New England Health shut the hospital to everyone except those needing emergency care while the incident was under investigation.
"There is currently a disruption to normal services at Tomaree Hospital, with smoke detected inside the facility," a statement released on Sunday said.
"All patients and staff are safe and will continue to receive care as required.
"The hospital is still operational and patients requiring emergency care can still present to the hospital, however ambulances have been temporarily diverted to other facilities as a precaution. Please avoid the area unless you require urgent medical assistance."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark: newcastleherald.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
IN THE NEWS:
Jessica Brown
Jessica began her journalism career in 2009 as a cadet at The Port Stephens Examiner before moving to London for a two-year stint working in magazines and digital publishing. The Lake Macquarie local returned to Australia where she took up a reporting role at The Maitland Mercury. She worked across several rounds including local council, police and property before moving into digital journalism and joining the team at The Newcastle Herald in 2017.
Jessica began her journalism career in 2009 as a cadet at The Port Stephens Examiner before moving to London for a two-year stint working in magazines and digital publishing. The Lake Macquarie local returned to Australia where she took up a reporting role at The Maitland Mercury. She worked across several rounds including local council, police and property before moving into digital journalism and joining the team at The Newcastle Herald in 2017.
