Up to 38 hospital sites may be as dangerous as Grenfell Tower, with nine identified as at greatest risk, fire chiefs have warned.

The alert came as more than 17,000 care homes and private hospitals were ordered to undertake their own safety reviews, in the wake of the disaster.

Theresa May has ordered a major national investigation into the use of potentially flammable cladding on high-rise towers across the country.

It follows checks on cladding from residential tower blocks, with all 95 samples submitted by councils so far failing fire safety tests.

The PM’s official spokesman said the investigation into the use of the substance may constitute a second phase of the public inquiry already announced into the west London blaze, which claimed the lives of at least 79 people earlier this month.

NHS regulators last week ordered an audit of every hospital, amid concerns about wider use of the cladding.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) on Tuesday told The Telegraph that 38 NHS sites have now been found to have similar characteristics to those of Grenfell, with nine found to be at greatest risk.