EMERGENCY staff at Russells Hall Hospital are taking part in a decontamination training exercise today (Saturday).

The exercise is not real and there is no need for patients or the public to worry.

The exercise will take place outside the Emergency Department and will involve the use of a decontamination unit and hazmat suits.

“We have a responsibility to make sure we are as prepared as we possibly can be so that in the event of a real emergency our staff are capable of dealing with it safely and effectively” said Paul Bytheway, chief operating officer for the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.

The exercise will not affect patient access to the Emergency Department or the Emergency Assessment Unit.