BRITAIN: The London emergency services have defended their response to the July 7th bombings after a damning official report exposed a catalogue of failings in the aftermath of the attacks.
Massive communication problems, a lack of basic medical supplies and a "completely unacceptable" failure properly to care for thousands of survivors were some of the serious deficiencies it identified in the rescue operation.
While recognising the heroism of countless individuals, the report said they were too often let down by the system and a lack of proper planning.
The London Resilience Partnership - which represents key emergency services such as police, ambulance and transport - has promised to learn the lessons of the report by the London Assembly's July 7th review committee.
Its chairman Phil Woolas argued there was "no doubt that lives had been saved" by the professionalism of the response.
Richard Barnes, who led the investigation, said yesterday: "They focused on incidents but not individuals and processes rather than people. It is vital that these plans are reviewed and updated to address this major issue."
The committee said it was "unacceptable" that the emergency services still could not communicate by radio when underground - despite the recommendations which followed the King's Cross fire 18 years ago. There was also an over-reliance on the mobile phone network, it said.
In the rush to save lives, details were not taken of the walking wounded, who may have needed trauma counselling. As many as 6,000 people were likely to have been severely psychologically affected by the explosions, but the majority are still not known to the authorities or part of any support network.
Only hospitals with casualty units were put on alert. Great Ormond Street children's hospital, near the Russell Square site, was never alerted, although a field hospital was set up.
Ben Thwaites, who was caught up in the Edgeware Road blast, said it was as long as an hour before medics got to those trapped in the train. He said the train's driver told him its first aid box was empty, while the first paramedics at the site had to wait for their kit to arrive.
Mr Thwaites, from Berkshire, said when he tried to identify himself to police as a victim, they told him to go home and follow reports on television.
He told The World At One: "The people who helped - the medics and the police, everyone - did a fantastic job, but I fear that they did it despite the process, rather than because of it."
The failings identified by the report included:
- some emergency services personnel at the blast sites could not communicate with each other or in some cases even with their control rooms;
- there was no systematic establishment of survivor reception areas, so many were left to fend for themselves or had their details lost by the authorities;
- the casualty bureau was set up "too slowly", causing great distress to many who were trying to track friends and relatives;
- London Ambulance Service was not equipped to deliver sufficient equipment and medical supplies to the multiple scenes;
- there was a "general failure" to maintain records of the emergency services' response;
- the authorities ought to have known that the mobile phone network would become congested in the aftermath of such a major incident, yet the emergency services still relied on them to communicate between their senior staff;
- one elite group of responders were not exempt from traffic regulations, such as bus lanes or the congestion charge.
Prime minister Tony Blair said lessons had already been learned, but the government would study the report in detail. "In general, nothing should take away from the magnificent response of people on the day," his official spokesman said.