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More than 17,000 care homes, private hospitals and hospices have been ordered to carry out new safety checks in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire .
A letter sent to around 31,000 care sector workers by Sir David Behan, chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, said: “With recent events in mind, I am writing to ask that you review your fire safety processes in your registered premises ... In particular, I ask you to pay attention to the size and fabric of your registered premises.”
After the disaster in west London, the Government asked councils and landlords across the country to send samples of any potentially dangerous cladding to London for testing as soon as possible.
By Tuesday afternoon, 95 buildings in 32 different local authorities had failed fire safety tests – every one examined so far.
At the weekend, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt instructed all NHS trusts to test the safety of inpatient units. But fire departments warned the task was impossible and complained they had not received prior notice of the instruction.
The letter from the Care Quality Commission reminded providers of their legal obligations to ensure buildings were safe. They had a duty to pay particular attention to the safety of those more vulnerable because of mobility issues or learning disabilities, the letter said.
“We know from our inspections that there have been occasions when we have identified safety issues, some of which we have had to escalate to the local fire authorities,” it added.
“These issues include blocked fire exits, fire doors wedged open, escape routes used as storage areas, low awareness among staff of what to do in emergency situation and no evidence of fire drills having been undertaken recently.”
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fireShow all 51 1 /51In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died
Metropolitan Police
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor
Metropolitan Police
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower
Metropolitan Police
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower
London Metropolitan Police
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance
PA
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block
REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire
Ray Tang/REX
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower
Getty
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London
AP
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower,
EPA
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder
AP
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire
AP
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower
David Mirzoeff/PA
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementís Church in Latimer Road
David Mirzoeff/PA
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower
REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building
Yui Mok/PA Wire
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block
REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident
James Gourley/REX
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building
Yui Mok/PA Wire
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower
Yui Mok/PA Wire
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower
EPA
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower
EPA
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower
EPA
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block
REUTERS/Paul Hackett
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block
REUTERS/Paul Hackett
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block
REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower
Getty Images
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block
Getty
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire
REUTERS/Neil Hall
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block
REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc
REUTERS/Paul Hackett
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower
AP
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block
REUTERS/Paul Hackett
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower
EPA
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower
Rick Findler/PA Wire
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency services at Grenfell Tower
Rick Findler/PA Wire
In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building
Rick Findler/PA Wire
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Ms May called for a “major national investigation” into the unsafe cladding.
“There will need to be a major national investigation into what’s gone wrong, when cladding that's failing the tests has been fitted on buildings in this country over a number of decades,” she told ministers.
Officials later said the new investigation could form a second phase of the public inquiry already announced focussing on the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed at least 79 people.
US company Arconic said on Monday afternoon it would discontinue sales of Reynobond PE for use in high-rise applications amid growing concern about safety.
The firm said in a statement: “We believe this is the right decision because of the inconsistency of building codes across the world and issues that have arisen in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy regarding code compliance of cladding systems in the context of buildings’ overall designs.”
It comes against a backdrop of growing anger about the way Government has handled information during the tragedy, with Labour MP David Lammy saying that the true number of people killed in the disaster may have been covered up to stop riots .
“What people say is that if you put the numbers out early, there could be civil unrest. That's what they say,” he told BBC2’s Newsnight.