Hospital Fire Risk Assessment
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Hospital Fire Risk Assessment — Quick Facts
- Property: Hospitals, NHS Trust premises, private hospitals, medical centres
- Service: Compare up to 3 quotes
- Indicative price: Small medical facilities start from £500
- Key issues: Dependent patients, medical gases, operating theatres, progressive horizontal evacuation, PEEPs
- England & Wales: The Fire Safety Order applies to all healthcare premises
- Scotland: Separate fire safety legislation applies
Do Hospitals Need a Fire Risk Assessment?
Yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including hospitals, NHS Trust premises, private hospitals, and medical facilities. The responsible person must ensure fire safety risks are properly assessed and managed.
For NHS premises, the Health Technical Memorandum 05 series (Firecode) provides comprehensive guidance. HTM 05-01 (Managing Healthcare Fire Safety) sets out recommendations for the effective management of fire safety in healthcare buildings. HTM 05-03 Part K specifically provides guidance on fire risk assessments in complex healthcare premises.
Hospitals have among the most complex fire risk profiles of any premises: highly dependent patients who cannot evacuate independently, progressive horizontal evacuation strategies, medical gases including oxygen and nitrous oxide, operating theatres with critical patient care, and the absolute need for business continuity to maintain patient care. A tailored fire risk assessment is essential.
Since October 2023, the Building Safety Act 2022 (Section 156) requires all fire risk assessments to be recorded in writing, regardless of business size.
Who Is Responsible for Fire Safety in a Hospital?
The responsible person is typically the NHS Trust board, Chief Executive, or for private hospitals, the owner or employer who has control of the premises. For NHS hospitals, the Responsible Person is usually the organisation (NHS Trust) as a body, not a named individual. The Trust board holds ultimate responsibility.
For complex organisations such as acute trusts and mental health trusts, the full HTM 05-01 guidance should be applied. For smaller medical facilities (e.g., private hospitals, specialist clinics), it may not be necessary to adopt every role or process described in full, but the relevant concepts should be implemented at an appropriate scale.
What Does a Hospital Fire Risk Assessment Cover?
A fire risk assessment for a hospital examines the premises, activities, people at risk, and fire precautions — with a focus on patient safety, evacuation strategies, and business continuity.
- Means of escape: routes, exits, signage and accessibility (including for patients with mobility needs)
- Fire doors: condition and suitability, especially between patient areas and corridors
- Compartmentation: walls, floors and fire-resisting construction – sub-compartmentation is often used in hospitals
- Detection and warning: fire alarm systems (visual alarms for hearing-impaired patients and staff)
- Emergency lighting: essential for escape routes and patient areas
- Firefighting equipment: extinguishers, fire blankets and their location
- Medical gases: oxygen and nitrous oxide storage, piped supplies and cylinder management
- Operating theatres and specialist areas: electrical equipment, anaesthetic gases, and critical patient care
- Electrical risks: medical equipment, portable appliances, and fixed installations
- Heating and ventilation: boilers, HVAC systems and heat-producing equipment
- Dependent patients: very high dependency, dependent, and patients with dementia who need close supervision
- PEEPs: Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for patients and staff with disabilities
- Progressive horizontal evacuation: moving patients away from fire, room by room, ward by ward
- Business continuity: maintaining patient care during and after a fire
- Arson prevention: recent studies indicate 25% of fires in healthcare premises are deliberately set
- Management: training, fire drills, maintenance schedules, and emergency plans
Hospital Fire Risk Assessment Costs
Hospital fire risk assessment costs vary depending on the size, complexity, and number of buildings.
As a guide, small medical facilities may start from around £500. Larger NHS hospitals, multi-building sites, or teaching hospitals may cost significantly more.
FireRiskQuote allows you to compare up to three quotes from fire risk assessors, helping you compare both price and what is included.
How to Choose a Hospital Fire Risk Assessor
Experience with healthcare premises and an understanding of the specific risks is essential when choosing an assessor.
Healthcare Experience
Choose an assessor who understands hospital premises, patient evacuation, medical gases, and progressive horizontal evacuation strategies.
Qualifications
Look for relevant fire safety qualifications and professional registration (e.g., IFE, IFSM). For NHS premises, the Authorised Person (Fire) role covers fire risk assessment specialisms.
Insurance
Ensure appropriate professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Compare Quotes
Look beyond the headline price — compare what each quotation includes.
Information to Give a Hospital Fire Risk Assessor
- Property address and postcode
- Type of hospital (NHS Trust, private, specialist, community)
- Number of buildings, storeys and floor area
- Number of beds and patient capacity
- Number of staff and shift patterns
- Types of patients (very high dependency, dependent, independent)
- Medical gases in use (oxygen, nitrous oxide, etc.)
- Specialist areas (operating theatres, intensive care, laboratories, A&E)
- Age and construction type where known
- Fire alarm and detection details
- Fire door and compartmentation information
- Previous fire risk assessment
- Enforcement notices or outstanding actions
- Recent alterations, extensions or changes of use
How a Hospital Fire Risk Assessment Works
1. Tell Us About Your Hospital
Provide location, size, patient numbers and relevant details.
2. Compare Up to 3 Quotes
Receive quotations from assessors in our network.
3. Choose Your Assessor
Consider competence, experience, scope and price.
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Hospital Fire Risk Assessment FAQs
Do hospitals need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including hospitals, NHS Trust premises, private hospitals, and medical facilities. The responsible person must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out. Since October 2023, all fire risk assessments must be recorded in writing.
Who is responsible for fire safety in a hospital?
The responsible person is typically the NHS Trust board, Chief Executive, or for private hospitals, the owner or employer who has control of the premises. For NHS hospitals, the Responsible Person is usually the organisation (NHS Trust) as a body, not a named individual. The Trust board holds ultimate responsibility.
How much does a hospital fire risk assessment cost?
Costs vary depending on the size, complexity and number of buildings. As a guide, small medical facilities may start from around £500. Larger NHS hospitals, multi-building sites or teaching hospitals may cost significantly more.
What does a hospital fire risk assessment include?
It covers means of escape, fire doors, compartmentation, detection and warning (including visual alarms), emergency lighting, firefighting equipment, medical gases (oxygen and nitrous oxide), operating theatres and specialised equipment, dependent patients, progressive horizontal evacuation, PEEPs, business continuity, and management arrangements.
What guidance applies to hospital fire risk assessments?
The Government has published specific guidance for healthcare premises under Article 50 of the Fire Safety Order. For NHS premises, Health Technical Memoranda (HTM 05 series – Firecode) provide comprehensive guidance, including HTM 05-01 (Managing Healthcare Fire Safety), HTM 05-02 (Design), and HTM 05-03 (Operational Provisions, including Part K on fire risk assessments in complex healthcare premises).
What is progressive horizontal evacuation?
Progressive horizontal evacuation is the usual methodology for evacuation in hospitals. Patients are moved away from the fire horizontally, room by room and ward by ward, into a safe area within the same floor, rather than being evacuated vertically down stairs. This is because many patients cannot be safely evacuated down stairs and may require assistance or specialist equipment.
What are PEEPs?
PEEPs (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans) are individual plans for patients and staff who may need assistance to evacuate safely in the event of a fire. They should be developed for anyone with mobility or sensory impairments, or other conditions that may affect their ability to evacuate independently.
Can I compare more than one hospital fire risk assessment quote?
Yes. FireRiskQuote helps you submit your requirements and compare up to three quotes from assessors in the network, with no obligation.
Get Up to 3 Hospital Fire Risk Assessment Quotes
Tell us about your hospital or medical facility and compare quotes from assessors in the FireRiskQuote network.
Request Hospital QuotesDisclaimer: This page provides general guidance and is not fire safety, legal or professional advice. Check current legislation and consult a competent fire risk assessor where appropriate. For detailed guidance, refer to Fire safety risk assessment: healthcare premises published by the Home Office, and the NHS England HTM 05-01: Managing Healthcare Fire Safety.