Article: published on 18 March 2024

A hospital intensive care unit (ICU) remains closed after a ceiling caved in above a patient.

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, in Harlow, Essex, declared a major incident after medical equipment detached from its fitting and fell to the floor on Thursday.

The Sunday Times, external said the ceiling collapsed on to a patient on life support. The trust confirmed an incident had taken place but that no-one was harmed.

An investigation is under way and patients are being treated in a temporary ward.

The ICU is expected to open in midweek following repairs and a deep clean.

Following the incident, Sharon McNally, chief nurse and deputy chief executive at the trust, said: “We can confirm that an incident took place in our ICU on 14 March, where medical equipment detached from its fitting.

"No-one was harmed as a result of the incident.

“As a precautionary measure, we have declared a major incident as we have vacated our ICU while we fully assess and check the fittings for other medical equipment in the area.

"We are continuing to manage patients who require intensive care safely within our hospital and we are also grateful to our healthcare partners for their continued support.

"We are continuing our investigation of this incident to ensure patient safety.

“Our emergency department and wider hospital facilities remain open as usual.”

Last year the hospital faced building issues of a different kind.

Worsening sewage leak problems prompted calls for an urgent decision on funding to build a new hospital.

More than 40 leaks across the hospital estate were recorded in 2022 with about half classed as unsafe.

The Department for Health and Social Care said it was working with the trust on plans for a new hospital.

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