Watford General Hospital’s A&E department is back up and running after a burst pipe sparked a “critical incident”.
Today (November 22), West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed that there has been no damage to medical equipment, or any other lasting damage, after the department flooded between 3pm and 3.30pm.
Ceiling tiles, walls, and the floor in the area where the pipes burst suffered minor damage, but A&E visits will no longer be affected.
The department was apparently blocked off by security and patients were seen being moved away in stretchers during the emergency, an eyewitness said.
A trust spokesperson then confirmed that a “flood” due to a burst water pipe had caused a “critical incident” to be declared.
"Our patients and staff are safe but unfortunately there will be long waits for care as a result,” they added. "If you have an urgent but not life-threatening need, please visit 111 online first rather than going to A&E, 111 will be able to direct you to the most appropriate service for your needs.”
The burst pipe initially triggered the fire alarms at the Vicarage Road hospital at around 3.19pm, causing the Herts Fire and Rescue Service to send two engines to the scene from Watford Fire Station.
It was quickly established that there was no fire and the crews left at around 3.30pm.
Although it was established that it was not an emergency for the fire service, the critical incident lasted three hours before the water pipe could be repaired and services could return to normal at 6.30pm.
In June, four fire engines had been called to the hospital’s H block after an electrical fire started in its basement.
A&E was closed to ambulances while the incident was ongoing. The fire service believed that the blaze was started accidentally.
In January, the maternity unit had to be evacuated after a chemical spill. Three fire engines and a decontamination unit were called to the scene after an accidental mixing of cleaning fluids left people needing A&E treatment.
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