Royal Berkshire Hospital A&E closes after flood and fire
The accident and emergency department of a Berkshire hospital has been closed after a flood and fire on Thursday.
Major incident status has been declared at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading while power is restored. Firefighters were called at 11:30 BST on Thursday after a power supply cupboard inside the coronary unit overheated and caused a small fire. Hours earlier crew dealt with a flood in the basement, caused by a burst underground pipe. No-one was injured. Mary Sherry, chief operating officer for Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Our A&E is formally 'closed' to anything other than life-threatening conditions." Members of the public are asked to go to an urgent care centre, a walk-in centre or A&E at Wexham Park, Stoke Mandeville, Frimley or Basingstoke. 'Full power' Ms Sherry said: "Our staff have been working hard through the night to ensure areas impacted by yesterday's power outage and isolated fire are back to normal. "The hospital is currently in major incident status due to the uncertainty of when full power will be restored to Battle Block and North Block." The water supply has been restored to the hospital and power is back on in the North Block. There are still power issues on the north side of the Battle Block, due to water damage. Patients from Coronary Care Unit were moved to Lodden Ward because of the smoke from the fire, and patients are being moved from Battle Block. The British Red Cross posted on Twitter: "We are assisting at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, following a flood and fire yesterday. Team providing support to staff and patients." South Central Ambulance Service said: "We are still conveying all patients in life-threatening conditions to Royal Berkshire Hospital, but all other patients will be conveyed to alternative local emergency departments."