Calls for hospital water feature to run again

The water feature is in a patient garden that was opened in 2023

A breast cancer charity has criticised a hospital's decision to turn off a water feature.

Kettering General Hospital received £390,000 from Crazy Hats Breast Cancer Appeal to spend on a new lounge and garden for patients, which opened last year.

However, a granite water feature engraved with "hope" has since been turned off, with the charity saying hope had, quite literally, "been taken away", and it was "disrespectful".

The hospital said the feature had a small risk of putting legionella bacteria into the atmosphere and it was "seeking another solution".

The water feature has been made of granite

In a post on Facebook, charity founder Glennis Hooper said the "beautiful" water feature was chosen by supporter Marilyn, who wanted it to "bring calm and tranquility for patients".

The post continued: "It will only do that if it is actually on!"

The charity said it was not notified that it would be turned off, adding it had not worked for weeks.

'Another solution'

In a statement, Kettering General Hospital chief executive Deborah Needham said an external engineer had advised that such a water feature in an area with vulnerable patients had "a potential, but very small risk of putting legionella bacteria into the atmosphere through the water spray".

The statement said the hospital would be "seeking another solution, to be discussed with the Crazy Hats team, which will be a similarly attractive way of highlighting the statue, but without any potential risk to patients".