Water shut-off as leak causes flooding at Leicester General Hospital
The Trust says contingency measures have been put in place
Emergency repairs are being carried out at Leicester General Hospital after a faulty water valve lead to flooding at the site on Saturday and again today.
The hospital has been forced to shut-off water supplies this afternoon with contingency plans being put in place, including the supply of bottled water to wards.
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust has said patient safety remains their top priority with plans in place to ensure minimal disruption.
Some elective appointments scheduled for today have been cancelled.
Jon Melbourne, Chief Operating Officer, stated: “On Saturday morning (27 July), an issue with a faulty valve caused a leak requiring the water supply at Leicester General Hospital (LGH) to be shut off. A temporary fix was installed on the day with water restored to the site at around 10.30am.
“From 1pm until 4pm today the water supply at Leicester General Hospital will need to be shut off to allow essential maintenance repair for a permanent fix to a faulty water valve in one of the main pipes.
"Colleagues from the Trust’s estates and facilities team are hard at work with Severn Trent Water as well as Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service to remove water due to flooding following the leak. Patients, visitors, and colleagues may notice continued activity on site while the essential work is carried out.
"Patient safety is our top priority and robust plans are in place to ensure minimal disruption to our services including supply of bottled water to wards and storage tanks for water supply are on site to provide water for up to 24 hours. Contingency measures for infection prevention and toilets are in place.
"Unfortunately, we had to take the difficult decision to reschedule some elective appointments scheduled for today due to take place at LGH and we apologise to anyone affected by this."