HOSPITAL cladding that was tested in the wake of the fatal Grenfell Tower fire is now not believed to be a risk.

The owners of the Great Western Hospital building have reassured the NHS trust that the cladding is safe.

However, the trust have now asked an independent fire safety firm to confirm the report’s findings.

In July, samples of cladding from the outside of the GWH and the Swindon Intermediate Care Centre and sent to fire lab BRE, who conducted safety tests on behalf of the government. Hospital bosses feared that the aluminium cladding used to insulate the building could have been flammable.

Kevin McNamara, director of strategy at the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Following the fire at Grenfell Tower in London, we have worked closely with our PFI provider - which owns the Great Western Hospital - to understand if the cladding used here presented a potential fire risk.

“We have now received reassurance on the safety of the cladding and are working with independent fire advisors to confirm the findings of the report.”

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, which claimed 69 lives in June, hospital managers undertook urgent fire safety checks and invited officers from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service to inspect the building.