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Construction site mistake causes hospital disruption

Damage to cables caused problems to phone and broadband services

Openreach said fibre optic cables were accidently drilled through at a building site
Author: Jason BeckPublished 9th Jun 2022

Construction workers have damaged cables causing significant disruption at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

Openreach said fibre optic cables were accidently drilled through at a building site in Dummer near Basingstoke.

Around 4,000 homes and businesses are having phone and broadband problems, the company said.

A spokesperson described the repair as a "complex fix" and services "may take some time to completely recover".

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it was facing "significant pressures" due to a "major IT outage".

People were urged to only visit the Royal Hampshire County Hospital if they have an urgent or life-threatening condition.

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