Princess Royal Hospital hit by flooding after burst water pipe

The Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford is experiencing significant disruption due to flooding caused by a burst water pipe.

The incident, which occurred earlier today, has affected several wards and prompted the activation of the hospital's contingency plans to ensure patient safety and minimise service interruption.

Engineers are reportedly on-site, working diligently to repair the damaged pipe and clean up the affected areas. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has issued an apology for the inconvenience caused to patients, visitors, and staff.

While the hospital's Emergency Department remains open and is treating walk-in patients, ambulances are being temporarily diverted to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and other neighbouring hospitals as a precautionary measure.

Crucially, maternity and women and children services at PRH are unaffected and operating as planned, with patients advised to attend their appointments as scheduled.

To assist the hospital teams in managing the situation, the Trust has urged patients, visitors, and staff to adhere to on-site signage and instructions to avoid flooded areas. The public is also advised to contact NHS 111 for non-life-threatening conditions, or 999 for emergencies, before attending the Emergency Department. A range of alternative services, including out-of-hours GP services, are available for less severe conditions.

Patients with pre-booked appointments are advised to attend as planned unless they are directly contacted by the Trust.

A spokesperson for The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust stated, "Following a suspected burst water pipe at Princess Royal Hospital, patients and visitors may experience some disruption due to flood damage. Our Emergency Department and maternity unit remain open. Patients should continue to attend their appointments as planned unless they are contacted by the Trust."

The spokesperson further added, "We have contingency plans in place to minimise disruption and to ensure the safety of service users. We are sorry for any inconvenience this is causing and would like to thank patients and visitors for their support. We would also like to thank our staff who are working hard to repair and clean the affected areas, so we can fully restore services as quickly as possible. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available."

The Trust has reiterated that the safety and well-being of patients, visitors, and staff remain their utmost priority as they work to resolve the flooding and restore full services.