Six people taken to A&E with respiratory problems after ‘substance spill’ at Addenbrooke’s Hospital

More than 20 firefighters and police officers are currently at the Cambridge University Hospital after an “unconfirmed substance” spill.

Emergency services rushed to the internationally renowned research centre at around 11.20am today (Monday) and a cordon is in place around the main entrance to the A&E unit.

Cambridge University Hospital (CUH) earlier tweeted to confirm the incident and said the labs have been “evacuated”.

It wrote: “Lab evacuated as precaution. At 11.20am today our Operations Centre received a report that an unconfirmed substance had been spilled in our laboratory block.

“@cambsfrs was contacted and as a precaution, the building was evacuated.

“Currently no patient services are affected.”

As yet the cause of the leak is unknown.

The six people being treated are medically well but are continuing to be monitored.

Online footage taken at the hospital shows patients being wheeled out into the car park following the spill.

Security have also been spotted directing traffic through the area while the emergency services rushed to the incident.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted: “We currently have more than 20 firefighters, including crews from Cambridge, St Neots and Newmarket from Suffolk at the scene of an incident at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge.

“Firefighters are working with on site staff and other emergency services.”

One woman, who works at the hospital, told local press: “We were just working and then someone told us that there was a chemical spill and we needed to get out.

“The fire alarms were going off.

“We’re just waiting now so we can get our belongings. We didn’t panic.

“This is the first time this has happened in around 10 years.”

Addenbrooke’s Hospital is an internationally renowned teaching hospital and research centre in Cambridge, England, with strong affiliations to the University of Cambridge.

Addenbrooke’s Hospital is based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.