Fresh call for new Doncaster hospital as DRI hit by second huge water leak

The town’s ageing hospital, which is undergoing repairs following a huge leak in April, was hit again last month, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals’ boss Richard Parker has said.

And the chief executive has made a fresh call for a brand new hospital for the town following the latest incident.

Earlier this year, patients had to be evacuated and operations cancelled after gallons of water cascaded through the building.

Mr Parker said: “On 23 September, we experienced a water leak within our Women’s and Children’s Hospital at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

"This occurred within the area of the east side of the building which has significant work underway to repair the facilities following an incident which occurred earlier this year.

"The water was isolated within minutes, and the source of the leak was identified and repaired within two hours.

“Thankfully, no patients, staff or visitors were harmed during this incident, and colleagues acted with professionalism throughout these challenges with minimal disruptions to our services.

"We are currently in the midst of a £12.5 million extension to the rear of this building to support capacity while the full repairs are completed. We anticipate that the new facilities will be in operation by mid-December, and will include two additional wards and a theatre unit.

“While our Estates and Facilities team continue to work hard maintaining our sites, most of the infrastructure at Doncaster Royal Infirmary was built in the 1930s and 1960s, with the demands of these decades in mind, as such we continue to work to realise our ambition of securing funding to build an outstanding new hospital in the town.

"The Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care indicated in the summer that there will be funding for a further eight to 10 new facilities in the future, and as such we have submitted an application to be part of this programme and are developing the business case to ensure that we are in the best position possible to secure this investment for the people of Doncaster and the surrounding areas.”