Record number of floods in NHS hospitals as trusts experience three fires a day

EMBARGO: 00:01 Monday 28th October

There has been a record number of floods recorded in NHS Trusts this year with the health service’s estate reporting three fires a day, analysis of the latest NHS data by the LiberalDemocrats has revealed.

In 2023/24, the NHS reported that there were 358 floods. That is a record number from when the data first started being recorded in 2021/22 when there were 176 and equates to a 28% rise on the number in the previous year when there were 279.

University Hospitals Nottingham and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire recorded the most incidents of flooding with 56 and 51 respectively. They were followed by Princess Alexandra Hospitals with 36.

There were a staggering three fires a day recorded at NHS Trusts last year, equating to 1,102, the equivalent of three a day. These fires led to the injury of 21 people. Central and North West London Trust reported 97 fires last year, the highest in the country, followed by Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust with 93 and Somerset Foundation Trust with 83.

It comes after the repair backlog in NHS Trusts rose once again to £13.8 billion, a near 20% rise on last year's record figure of £11.6 billion, with the ‘high risk’ backlog now standing at a staggering £2.74 billion to eradicate. 

A high risk repair is defined as something when a failure to urgently address repairs could lead to serious injury and major disruption to services.

The Liberal Democrats called the figures “shocking” and said that any money raised through changes to the fiscal rules that the Chancellor is reported to be making should be used to invest in fixing crumbling hospital infrastructure and eradicating the repair backlog.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Helen Morgan MP said:

“It is shocking to think that patients are being treated in hospitals and buildings that are experiencing regular flooding and the potential for fires to break out at any moment.

“This is yet another example of the Conservatives’ disastrous legacy. They proved themselves utterly unfit to run our NHS ever again, putting patients safety at risk through their mismanagement.

“The new government must now rise to the greatest challenge facing this country, rescuing our NHS. That must start at the Budget with any changes to the fiscal rules used to invest in fixing our crumbling hospitals.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

ERIC data can be found here.