Patients were forced to leave their cubicles after a burst pipe sent water and steam crashing through the ceiling at Barnsley Hospital, throwing the emergency department into chaos during Wednesday's episode of Channel 5's Casualty 24/7.
The unexpected incident left a large section of the hospital out of use, with staff evacuating patients from the affected area and moving equipment into corridors to keep the busy A&E department running.
Fire crews called as steam pours through ceiling
Three fire engines were called to the South Yorkshire hospital after steam began pouring through the ceiling and part of it came down while doctors were working below. At first, staff did not know what they were dealing with and feared the fumes could potentially have been gas.
Trolleys were moved into the back corridor, and the entire back section of the emergency department had to be shut while staff worked to make the area safe.
Staff improvise to keep treating patients
With patients still waiting to be seen, the team had to find ways of continuing to treat people despite losing a significant part of the department. The waiting room remained full as service manager Lindsey was drafted in to help Sister Jo get the department back on track.
Fortunately, nobody was injured during the incident. Lindsey said: “Nobody was injured, thankfully. Fortunately, it started slowly dripping first so people were standing back looking up as the ceiling came in.”
Additional pressure on an already difficult environment
The disruption created yet another challenge for staff working in an already pressured environment. Lindsey said: “It’s already a difficult environment to work in, so any additional pressure on top of that is only going to make it even more difficult.”
Staff were forced to improvise, moving computers and equipment as they attempted to keep the department functioning. One nurse said: “Just getting on really. There’s nothing you can do. They told us to get laptops and make it work.” Another added: “It’s a change but that’s ED for you, isn’t it? Got to work with what you’ve got.”
Hospital section out of use for the day
The scale of the disruption meant part of the hospital was out of use for the day. Lindsey said she had asked the IT team to bring in computers on wheels so staff could continue working, describing the disruption as “a new challenge to add to the list.”
After hours of disruption, staff finally received some good news when another small section of the hospital was made available. Computers could be plugged back in and some of the electrical problems had been resolved, allowing the team to start getting back to normal.
Lindsey praised the staff for how they had handled the situation. She said: “I’m proud of the team because they handled it the way they do everything.” Sister Jo added: “We managed to keep on top of it and the patients got what they needed.”
