COUNTY NEWS: Appointments cancelled after brand new £7.5m NHS clinic floods

Southlands Hospital's new brand new eye clinic has flooded, less than a month after it opened.
Patients are being seen at St Richard's Hospital instead. Picture: Stephen GoodgerPatients are being seen at St Richard's Hospital instead. Picture: Stephen Goodger
Patients are being seen at St Richard's Hospital instead. Picture: Stephen Goodger

Appointments have been cancelled after parts of Southlands Hospital, which serves the whole of West Sussex – including its £7.5m eye clinic – were flooded in Tuesday night’s storm.

A spokesman for Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Shoreham hospital, said: “The rain on Tuesday night did overwhelm an external drain which caused some areas of the hospital to flood, not just the new eye unit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Investigations are ongoing and I hope to have more details later.

“While the hospital was being mopped yesterday and cleaned up some appointments were cancelled and rebooked for another day.”

The flooding occurred during the first storm since the eye unit opened in late June.

The spokesman said there was no lasting damage and some eye surgery theatres were running yesterday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However outpatient appointments were being cancelled due to water getting into waiting rooms.

The spokesman added: “Today, clinical cleaning is taking place.

“Outpatients are being seen at St Richard’s instead, where additional staff and capacity has been created in order to minimise disruption for patients.”