Britain’s crumbling NHS: WATER leaks in cancer wards, maternity wards and A&Es, shock audit reveals

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

Urine and feces have entered cancer wards, maternity wards and emergency rooms, poured through ceilings and poured down drains over the past year.

In fact, by 2022, one hospital trust recorded 105 sewage leaks – or almost one every three days.

The Liberal Democrats who collected the data spoke of a “national scandal”.

Patients slipped into the sewers while staff fell ill and complained of headaches and nausea from the stench.

Just 55 NHS hospital trusts – just over a third of the total NHS trusts in England – responded to freedom of information requests about sewage leaks. Pictured above: Hartlepool University Hospital, part of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, where 80 incidents were recorded

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

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

He added: “There is still no sign of the new hospitals promised by this Conservative government. They took local communities for granted, breaking another promise of the Manifesto.

“Our precious NHS is crumbling at every turn, from hospital buildings to dangerous ambulance waiting times.

“The government urgently needs funds to repair hospitals that have been flooded with sewage. The safety of patients and staff is at risk if ministers do nothing.’

Total registered NHS trusts 456 leaks between January and December 2022.

Just 55 NHS hospital trusts – just over a third of the total 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 spills, said water seeping into the floor caused a patient to slip as he got out of bed.

An employee described the incident and said it was embarrassing to run a department that had leaking sewage everywhere and it smelled bad.

The smell is “persistent” and “staff struggle to work in these conditions,” said another. “They all have nausea, headaches and are 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 spills, said the water that spilled onto the floor caused a patient to slip as he got out of bed. Lib Dem chairman Ed Davey said: “Our country’s hospitals are falling apart after years of underinvestment and neglect

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

The cost of deferred maintenance for the NHS estate reached £9 billion this month, with £4.5 billion considered to be at high or significant risk.

A Liberal Democrat poll earlier this month also found that only one in four of the government’s promised new hospitals have planning permission.

The pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 was a key promise 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 sums in upgrading and modernizing NHS buildings to ensure that staff have the facilities they need, including £4.2bn this year and £8.4bn over the next two years.

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