NHS Fife: Electricity cut out in middle of patient procedure

A summary of the incident - which was reported to the health board's estates department - notes that a staff nurse "organised all equipment to be moved into a working socket on different circuit, allowing the team to finish current case" while an electrician was contacted.

The theatre then "stopped working" and the remaining patient list was "discussed and changes made".

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FOI data shows that, earlier that same day, water leaks had been discovered in the ceiling hatch and built-in light cluster of Theatre Five in the same hospital following drips during another procedure.

This patient's case was also completed before the theatre was closed for repair.

A spokeswoman for NHS Fife said the leak above the two theatres had occurred after high winds damaged the roof. 

She said: "The procedures in progress were safely completed and the damaged electrical systems were repaired within 48 hours, resulting in only a very small number of procedures requiring to be rescheduled.”

The details come after Audit Scotland warned that NHS Scotland was grappling with a £1.1 billion maintenance backlog by the end of 2022, including issues with fire safety testing, leaking pipes, and "inadequate precautions to manage built environment infection risks to patients".

The disclosures from NHS Fife also reveal an incident on December 30 last year where a "pungent smell" in a supported discharge unit at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy was traced to a dead rat in a doctor's room.

Days later, on January 2, an "unpleasant smell" also led to the discovery of "black mould" affecting a renal dialysis outpatients unit at the Victoria. 

The memo states that when investigators from Fife's estates department removed wall panelling from a staff changing room they found a leak coming from pipework leading to the dialysis unit and plasterboard which was "water damaged and covered in what appeared to be black mould".

Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline, where water damage and leaks in January this year led to two theatres being shut down for repairs (Image: NHS Fife)

Repairs were made and an emergency meeting called by the infection control team on January 12.

On January 14, a silicone sealant was used "to seal gap between wall space on dialysis side of the wall panel".

At risk patients were identified and relocated to a separate dialysis area while repairs were carried out.

A spokeswoman for NHS Fife said this was done "as a precaution" due to the proximity of the leak to the renal dialysis unit and had affected "a small number of immuno-compromised patients". 

She added: “NHS Fife has a large estate, and as such it is common to have to carry out repairs and remedial work where emerging issues develop. In such instances, the safety of patients, staff and visitors is our priority."

The Herald asked all of Scotland's territorial health boards for details of the 10 most recent building safety incidents logged with their estates department.

Dozens of cases involved flooding, leaks, storm damage, faulty lifts, broken equipment, trip hazards, or tiles falling from walls and ceilings - sometimes landing on patients.

However, several were more alarming.

Disclosures from NHS Lanarkshire reveal that a frail elderly patient with cognitive impairment absconded twice in July 2023 from a secure unit at Stonehouse hospital because an alarm on the fire door was not working.

On the first occasion, the patient had "reached the main road" outside and was only spotted by chance by a member of staff who happened to be arriving for their shift.

Other incidents included a visitor at Wishaw General Hospital catching a television after it fell off the wall in September last year, and a near miss at University Hospital Hairmyres in July 2023 when a "heavy, sharp and metal" air vent came loose from its safety chain and plunged from the ceiling in "close proximity" of a patient.

The incident report notes that it "would have caused significant harm" if they had been hit.

Hairmyres hospital in East Kilbride, where a patient narrowly missed being struck by a falling air vent (Image: Newsquest)

Colin Lauder, director of planning, property and performance at NHS Lanarkshire, said: “We take the health and safety of our staff, patients and visitors extremely seriously.

“While no individual came to any harm, all safety incidents are investigated. Any preventative measures identified are put in place to help avoid any similar incidents in the future.”

Other incidents disclosed as a result of FOI include a generator fault in April this year which led to ventilation cutting out to both theatres at Balfour hospital in Orkney.

In Forth Valley, flooding due to storms in January damaged ophthalmology equipment at Falkirk community hospital, and in September 2023 buckets had to be used to collect water pouring from a ceiling in the medical records department at Western Isles Hospital.

NHS Lothian reported that flooring had to be replaced at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital - a psychiatric facility - in March this year after a fire broke out in a bedroom. 

NHS Borders also logged a "ventilation issue" affecting its A&E on March 11 this year, but no further details were given.

NHS Tayside and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have yet to respond.

In addition to the £1.1bn maintenance backlog, NHS Scotland faces potentially huge bills to fix hospitals constructed using collapse-prone RAAC concrete. 

Meanwhile, all new NHS building projects have been put on hold amid a capital funding squeeze. 

New build projects, including NHS National Treatment Centres, are on hold due to capital budget constraints (Image: Getty)

Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, said: “Reports of dangerous incidents due to tired buildings in our NHS from across Scotland are deeply worrying and demand immediate action from the government.

“We cannot have NHS workers and patients working and being treated in unsafe or even dangerous conditions.”

Scottish Conservative health spokesman, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, said the findings were "shocking". 

He added: “Successive SNP health secretaries have allowed the NHS maintenance backlog to spiral out of control which only adds to the intolerable strain facing our under-pressure health boards.

“Too many crucial healthcare sites have been allowed to fall into an appalling state of disrepair and these problems must be urgently addressed."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said its block grant for capital expenditure is currently forecast to reduce by 8.7% by 2027/28 - equivalent to a cumulative loss of £1.3bn. 

She added: “Our emphasis for the immediate future will be on addressing backlog maintenance and essential equipment replacement and we have asked health boards to prioritise their backlog maintenance programmes.

“All capital spend is now under review and the Deputy First Minister is expected to set out the results in the coming weeks.”