Fury over crumbling NHS hospitals as floods and fires close wards to patients

27 December 2023 , 22:30

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Tories have been urged to address an alarming rise in fires and floods in hospitals (file image)

An alarming rise in hospital flooding, fires and overheating are a "wake-up call" to Tories who need to fix crumbling NHS buildings, ministers have been told.

NHS data shows there were an average of four fires a day across NHS trusts, up 18% on the previous year. Meanwhile there were 279 serious flooding incidents - nearly 60% higher than 2021/22 - and 6,822 cases of overheating.

These have led to wards being closed amid fears it could get worse if the Government fails to deal with "dilapidated" buildings. Lib Dem health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: “This sharp rise in flooding, fires and overheating must act as a wake-up call to ministers to fix crumbling hospital buildings before it’s too late.

"The Government has failed to upgrade run-down and ageing hospitals, leaving them particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Every day, people are being treated in old and dilapidated buildings because the Conservatives have failed to deliver on the new hospitals they promised."

NHS Digital estimates that the maintenance backlog - work that should already have been done to make buildings safe - stands at £11.6billion. This does not include planned maintenance work.

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The Lib Dems pointed out that St Helier Hospital in South London is among those affected by constant closures and flooding. Boris Johnson had promised it would be replaced as part of his pledge to deliver 40 new hospitals in the 2019 election manifesto.

Ministers are urged to commit more funds to upgrading NHS buildings and improve their resilience to extreme weather.

Dave Burke