HOSPITAL staff have been undergoing specialist training to help them cope with major incidents.

A special plan has already been drawn up by bosses at Dorset County Hospital on how it would operate following a major incident like a train crash or explosion.

Now workers at the Dorchester hospital are undergoing specialist training to ensure that they will be able to cope with a major incident.

Staff in the accident and emergency department have been trained to decontaminate casualties involved in a chemical incident using special protective suits and decontamination tents and links with neighbouring hospitals and government agencies that would also be involved in a major incident have been made stronger.

Two specialist medical emergency response incident teams have also been created at the hospital that would attend major incidents if casualties were not being brought to Dorchester, A spokesman for West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital said: "The role of the teams would be to administer life-saving treatment to the numerous casualties from the incident whilst they await evacuation to hospital."

She said the teams recently took part in a specially designed training weekend at the Cheshire Fire Headquarters and Training Centre and as well as helping casualties the team were able to get involved with rescues.

"While in reality, the MERIT team's role will mainly be staffing the casualty clearing station at the incident scene rather than actually rescuing casualties from wreckage, this training has allowed them first-hand insight and understanding into how major incidents are managed in the pre-hospital setting.

"It has also taught them techniques for treating severely injured casualties in an unfamiliar environment.

"The current climate of terrorist activity on top of a basic need to be able to respond appropriately to a large number of severely injured casualties from, for example a coach crash, along with the knowledge that the Olympics will be coming to Weymouth and Portland in 2012, has enthused staff.

"Many of them are donating their time and efforts voluntarily on top of their day-to-day job, to help provide a cohesive mechanism for dealing with a major incident."