GP practice ceiling collapses due to ‘devastating’ flood

A GP practice experienced a ‘devastating’ flood this week which caused its ceiling to collapse, and ‘major’ electrical and IT damage. 

On Monday morning, Hannage Brook Medical centre in Derbyshire discovered the flood, which had begun over the weekend due to a leak from a water tank.

It caused flooding on both the first and ground floors, putting several consulting rooms out of action and causing the IT equipment to stop working.

The practice, which cares for 9,000 patients, had to close to ‘prioritise the safety of staff’, but within five hours of discovering the damage some patients were able to be seen face-to-face for urgent appointments. 

GP partner Dr Phil Packer said he arrived at the practice at 7am on Monday to find a ‘very wet carpet’ and a ‘waiting room with a collapsed ceiling’, with even more damage upstairs. 

‘With it being the weekend, [the leak] was unattended for a long time which allowed the damage to spread,’ he added. 

The practice’s other GP partner, Dr Penny Blackwell, said they knew they ‘had decisions to make quite quickly’.

‘We knew there was likely to be quite a bit of structural and IT and electrical damage. We had to prioritise the safety of our staff at that point.’

In a joint statement, the partners said: ‘Our hearts sank when we saw what had happened to our practice and stepped into a foot of water downstairs.

‘We couldn’t possibly have opened. However, within a short time we were able to put in place actions that ensured we could keep our patients and staff safe and to get ourselves up and running again.’

By Tuesday, the service was running ‘nearly as normal’ but ‘significant restoration work’ will be required over the next few months, according to the local ICB.

Derby and Derbyshire ICB said ‘quick teamwork’ across the system helped Hannage Brook ‘recover from a devastating flood within just 24 hours’. 

To support the flooded GP practice, colleagues at the PCN helped to ensure patients received their scheduled home visit, and the local 111 service took calls from diverted patients who had requested an urgent appointment.

Director of primary care Clive Newman said: ‘The NHS family rallied around the team at Hannage Brook so they could begin to see their patients once again as quickly as possible.

‘The team of GPs, healthcare professionals, administration and reception staff at Hannage Brook threw themselves into the recovery operation and did a brilliant job.’

Last year, a GP practice in Leicester experienced ‘catastrophic’ flooding caused by a downpour which led to a collapsed roof. 

And research by the RCGP found that four in 10 (40%) GP practice staff describe their premises as ‘unfit for purpose’.