'Significant' water leak causes widespread disruption at hospital
A major incident was declared at Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital
Last updated 7th Jan 2022
A major water leak has caused widespread disruption at Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital.
A major incident was declared when a high pressure pipe burst in a ground floor corridor on Friday morning.
Outpatient appointments were cancelled and wards were without running water.
The incident has since been stood down.
No patients or staff were harmed and patients were relocated safely to other areas of the hospital.
Throughout the day staff have been working to test the water supply and ensure the areas affected have been fully cleaned and repaired.
The burst is believed to have been caused by a power surge affecting water pumps at the hospital.
Penny Emerit, chief executive at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said: “I would like to thank our incredible teams for their hard work in keeping all patients onsite safe and restoring all infrastructure and clinical services.
"Throughout the incident, we have worked closely with our local health and social care partners who acted quickly to offer help and support throughout, so we would like to share our thanks with them too.
"I would also like to thank our local communities for their patience and understanding.
"We know having an appointment or procedure delayed isn’t easy, but it was the right thing to do given the situation we were in.
"Please continue attending appointments and we will keep you updated with any news or information from the Trust through our website and social media.”
"However, maternity appointments will go ahead and some outpatients clinics are contacting patients directly if their appointment can go ahead.
"We are also running lifesaving surgery, renal dialysis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
"Our emergency department remains open for the most serious life-threatening emergencies, but please use alternative services where possible.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues across the trust who have responded brilliantly to this situation.
"I’d also like to thank partners from across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and the region and our local community for their ongoing support and assistance."