Britain’s crumbling NHS: WATER seeps into cancer wards, maternity wards and emergency rooms

Wastewater is seeping into our hospitals, according to a damning audit of England’s crumbling NHS.

Urine and feces have seeped into cancer wards, maternity wards and emergency rooms, poured through ceilings and spilled out of drains in the past year.

One hospital trust even recorded 105 sewage leaks in 2022 — or almost one every three days.

The Liberal Democrats, who compiled the data, called it a “national scandal.”

Patients have also slipped on sewage while staff have fallen ill and complained of headaches and nausea from the smell.

Urine and feces have seeped into cancer wards, maternity wards and emergency rooms, poured through ceilings and spilled out of drains in the past year. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust recorded the most leaks at 105. Pictured above, Leeds General Infirmary, part of Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Just 55 NHS hospital trusts – just over a third of all NHS trusts in England – responded to Freedom of Information requests about sewage leaks. Pictured above, University Hospital of Hartlepool, part of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, which has recorded 80 incidents

Lib Dem Chair Ed Davey said: “Our country’s hospitals are falling apart after years of underinvestment and neglect.

“Patients should not be treated in these conditions, and heroic nurses should not have the humiliation of cleaning up polluted sewage.

He added: “There is still no sign of the new hospitals promised by this Conservative government. They have taken local communities for granted by once again breaking a manifesto promise.

“Our cherished NHS is crumbling at every turn, from hospital buildings to dangerous wait times for ambulances.

“The government urgently needs to find funds to fix hospitals that are overflowing with sewage. The safety of patients and staff is at risk if ministers do not act.’

NHS Trusts recorded overall 456 leaks between January and December 2022.

Just 55 NHS hospital trusts – just over a third of all NHS trusts in England – responded to Freedom of Information requests about sewage leaks.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals recorded the most leaks at 105, followed by North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals at 80.

Staff at the Princess Alexandra Trust Hospital in Harlow, which reported 40 leaks, said water flooding the floor caused a patient to slide out of bed trying to get up.

Describing the incident, one worker said it was “embarrassing to manage a department with sewage leaking everywhere and an unpleasant odor.”

The odor is “persistent” and “staff are struggling to work in these conditions,” said another. “They all feel nauseous, have a headache and feel very tired.”

Contaminated water spilled onto X-ray machines in Salisbury and sewage seeped into cancer wards at Milton Keynes University Hospital, staff said.

Staff at the Princess Alexandra Trust Hospital in Harlow (pictured above), which reported 40 leaks, said water flooding the floor caused a patient to slip as he got out of bed. Lib Dem Chair Ed Davey said: “Our country’s hospitals are falling apart after years of underinvestment and neglect

There have been numerous reports across England of sewage entering A&E units.

It comes as the cost of overdue maintenance at the NHS property has reached £9billion this month, with £4.5billion deemed at high or significant risk.

An inquiry earlier this month by the Liberal Democrats also found that only one in four of the government’s promised new hospitals has planning permission.

The pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 was a key pledge in the Conservatives’ 2019 manifesto.

Commenting on the figures, a spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care said: “While individual NHS organizations are legally responsible for maintaining their properties, we are investing record amounts in upgrading and modernizing NHS buildings to ensure staff have the facilities needed to deliver world-class care – of which £4.2bn this year and £8.4bn over the next two years.

They added: “More broadly, we have invested £3.7 billion in the first four years of the ‘New Hospital Programme’ and remain committed to all the programs announced as part of it.”

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk