Ongoing Water Leak Concerns at Inverclyde Royal Hospital
Regular concerns have been raised regarding Inverclyde Royal Hospital's vulnerability to water ingress during heavy rainfall.
The Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board has committed to undertaking improvement works at the aging hospital, which continues to experience water leak problems when subjected to heavy rain.
The health board reported that an incident last Friday at Inverclyde Royal Hospital was caused by a "severe and sudden" volume of rain on that day.
This incident follows earlier concerns about the hospital's susceptibility to water ingress, including reports earlier this year of patients being relocated from wards due to leaks.
However, the health board confirmed that no wards were affected by the leakages during last week's incident.
Previous Issues and Reports
Correspondence between the health board and the local Member of Parliament revealed that five wards have "longstanding and intermittent" issues with water ingress.
A 2023 external report by Health Improvement Scotland found that parts of the facility, which opened in 1979, had leaking windows, broken fixtures, damp wooden doors, and damaged walls.
An action plan was established to address these issues, with a target completion date set for 2026.
Despite this, no repair work has yet been announced. NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde stated that "a strategic assessment" is being finalised over the next two months.
This assessment will subsequently be reviewed by the Scottish Government's finance and infrastructure team alongside the health board's corporate management team.
The backlog of repairs is expected to cost millions of pounds.
MP Comments on Hospital Conditions
Martin McCluskey, Labour MP for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West, commented on the recent leakages, stating they have "exposed problems that have been known about for years."
"Information I obtained from the health board confirmed recurring and intermittent water ingress across several wards, external, with patients having to be moved following leaks.
That is simply not good enough. Patients should never have to access emergency care through floodwater and staff should never have to provide treatment in a hospital that is no longer consistently watertight.
Instead of delivering permanent repairs, the Health Board has been forced to rely on temporary measures while major capital decisions remain outstanding."
Health Board Response
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said:
"Following a severe and sudden volume of rainfall on Friday afternoon, there was water ingress in some areas of Inverclyde Royal Hospital.
Estates teams attended promptly and remained on site until the situation was fully addressed."
The spokesperson added that water dripping into parts of the building did not disrupt services and reiterated the health board's commitment to long-term improvement works.
The 2023 inspection report noted that the health board indicated challenges in completing remedial work to walls and floors due to the hospital's age and the presence of asbestos.
The Scottish Government stated it is accelerating work to improve the hospital's exterior as part of its capital budget programme.
Health Secretary Angela Constance said:
"I am concerned by scenes like this - patients and staff should not have to deal with flooding to access or deliver healthcare."
Additional stories related to the region include:
- NHS workers preparing for strike action across Glasgow over pay disputes
- Health board executives have had a proposed 10% pay rise suspended following union backlash
- Reflections on 50 years of service by NHS workers
