9:09pm UK, Thursday July 07, 2005

Hospitals across London have taken in hundreds of casualties from the bomb blasts with some being ferried by bus as well as ambulance.

Major incident plans were put into action after a reported 700 people were hurt.

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Hundreds of people injured

Paramedic crews from nearby counties have travelled to the capital to help colleagues.

Essex sent 10 ambulances - around 20% of its fleet - Berkshire nine and Surrey 10, including 20 staff and two officers.

Off-duty ambulance staff from across the country contacted their employers to offer their services and West Midlands and Shropshire Ambulance Service were put on alert.

Ten British Red Cross ambulances were deployed and a further 14 were on standby. St John Ambulance was also called into action.

Hospitals released details of where the injured had been taken.

St Mary's said it had received 36 people - six of whom are critical, 17 seriously injured and 13 with minor wounds.

A spokeswoman said serious wounds included lacerations and smoke inhalation.

The Royal Free Hospital admitted 55 patients - including two children with minor injuries.

Of those, 10 had serious injuries - three underwent surgery to be treated for fractures. Most are thought to have come from King's Cross.

One eyewitness said a convoy of four London buses had arrived at the Royal London Hospital near Liverpool Street Station with injured people.

"On the bottom of three of the buses were people with blackened faces looking very very distressed. The last bus was full," he said.

Nurses were waiting for the injured with trolleys and chairs. It is estimated that 60 or 70 people with blackened faces went to the hospital.

Bart's and the London NHS Trust - which covers Royal London Hospital - said it had treated 208 patients. Of them, 26 had been admitted, three were in intensive care while 13 were operated on.

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children was pressed into action to treat people injured in the Russell Square blast.

Dr Jane Collins, its chief executive, said staff operated on two seriously injured patients.

She said around 12 people had been admitted, many suffering burns and cuts from glass.

The hospital has no regular accident and emergency facilities but makeshift arrangements were made as part of its major incident emergency plan.

Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital received eight casualties - some of which are critically wounded.

Doctors at University College Hospital received patients three hours after the blasts and treated 50 casualties, a number of whom were seriously hurt.

Professor Jim Ryan, senior A&E consultant who is leading the major incident team, said: "They are coming in with blast injuries - fragmentation, skin, inhalation and limb injuries.

"These are characteristic of a terrorist incident - multiple injuries to the body."

Six consultant general surgeons and four consultant plastic surgeons are leading teams treating the injured.

A team of psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers is also on site to counsel the injured.

Meanwhile, the National Blood Service said it could meet the demand from hospitals.