Almost HALF of NHS hospitals have had to shut wards because of flooding and power cuts
Nearly half of England’s NHS hospitals have been forced to close wards and vital services due to flooding, power cuts and structural problems, a survey has found.
Entire emergency departments, maternity wards and pediatric wards have been temporarily closed for the past three years due to maintenance issues.
And some hospitals have even had to close entire departments permanently because they are no longer structurally safe.
A Freedom of Information request to 95 NHS trusts in England found that 42 per cent of respondents have temporarily or permanently closed units, departments or services due to structural or repair issues since 2020.
In the past three years, 171 incidents were recorded across 27 NHS trusts, ITV News found.
In the past three years, 171 incidents were recorded across 27 NHS trusts, ITV News found. At South London’s St George’s Hospital (pictured), the 2020 maternity ward flooding meant that women during labor had to be diverted by ambulance to other hospitals to give birth. In a separate incident in 2022, the children’s ward was flooded and closed for two days
In January 2022, West Middlesex Hospital in West London (pictured) suffered a power cut which led to the temporary closure of the emergency department and several operating rooms
At South London’s St George’s Hospital, the 2020 maternity ward flooding meant that women during labor had to be diverted by ambulance to other hospitals to give birth.
In a separate incident in 2022, the children’s ward was flooded and closed for two days.
In January 2022, West Middlesex Hospital suffered a power outage which led to the temporary closure of the emergency department and several operating theatres.
In February 2022, an electrical problem at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge ‘significantly affected the operation of the hospital’ – a critical incident was reported and patients were diverted from the hospital.
The problems of decline in the NHS are getting worse, the responses show, from 47 incidents in 2020 to 57 in 2021 and 67 in 2022.
Entire parts of St Mary’s Hospital are closed because they are structurally unsafe.
Consultants at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, say they are working in a building that is ‘collapsing’.
Scaffolding holds up the ceilings, the hospital suffers from constant flooding and leaks, collapsed ceilings and rotting window frames.
The estate is in such a state of disrepair that they have had to close entire parts of the hospital, including two wards, because they are structurally unsafe.
At a time when the NHS is under enormous pressure, it is a total waste of much needed clinical space.
“We’re delivering really high-quality care for our patients here, but it’s disappointing,” says Dr. Bob Klaber, Consultant General Pediatrician and Director of Strategy, Research and Innovation.
‘It’s frustrating. When a department closes, it puts more pressure on our emergency department teams.
“Where repairs are going on, where water is coming through ceilings or windows, where we have to close beds because a space isn’t safe anymore, that’s just what makes it so difficult and really demoralizing for the staff.”
In the basement of a hospital that first opened in the mid-1800s, the pharmacy bears the brunt of the building’s many problems.
“I’m a weather watcher, when it rains I pray,” says Michele Garwood, Senior Lead Pharmacist.
“We’ve had flooding, we’ve had leaks, we’ve had the ceiling collapse in one of our rooms. We should be dealing with patient care.’
The hospital is not only one of the busiest in the country, it is also one of the most historically significant.
It was at St Mary’s Hospital where Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.
Dr. Klaber says Fleming would be “quite shocked” at how little the building has changed since then.
At Papworth Hospital in Cambridge (pictured) in February 2022, an electrical problem ‘significantly affected the operation of the hospital’ – a critical incident was reported and patients were diverted from the hospital
Entire parts of St Mary’s Hospital are also closed because they are structurally unsafe. Consultants at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, say they are working in a building that is ‘collapsing’. Scaffolding holds up the ceilings, the hospital suffers constant flooding and leaks, collapsed ceilings and rotting window frames
St Mary’s was initially on the list of 40 hospitals the government had announced it would rebuild by 2030, but was downgraded and taken off the list in May.
The renovation is now postponed until after 2030.
Ms Garwood said her ‘heart sank’ when she heard the news.
It would cost St Mary’s £239 million to clear their repair backlog, but they can’t afford to spend £7 million a year on maintenance.
Commenting on the findings of the inquiry, Health Minister Steve Barclay said: ‘We are investing more in the NHS and so we are making the biggest ever investment in the NHS estate; we have also invested in our maintenance program.
“We are committed to 40 hospitals by 2030, listening to what NHS leaders have said to us, we have brought in a number of hospitals that have a specific problem with the concrete that had been used in their construction, the RAAC concrete, places like Airedale, Kings Lynn and Bury St Edmonds. We are following them quickly.
‘It’s not just about record investments, we also innovate and do things differently.
‘By using modern construction methods, building more according to a standardized design, with which we can deliver the hospital program about 25 percent cheaper.’
A spokesman for St George’s said: ‘We have taken immediate action to address and resolve flooding within two of our wards, whilst ensuring we keep patients safe at all times.
‘Due to the repair work and investments in our infrastructure, including improved drainage, we have had no more incidents.’