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Trust apologises after hospital ED leak fixed

Pacemaker A large grey sign with 'Ulster Hospital' written on it in grey writing. At the top there is a white band with 'South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust' written on it. Next to it is tree with red leaves and another sign post.Pacemaker
The water leak occurred in the ED waiting room

A clean-up operation has been completed after a water leak affected the Ulster Hospital's emergency department (ED) in Dundonald.

The South Eastern Health Trust had earlier urged people not to attend the ED unless it was a "life-threatening emergency".

It said the leak occurred in the ED waiting room.

On Saturday evening, the trust confirmed the incident had been dealt with and said it was "sorry for any inconvenience the water leak from a pump may have caused".

'Absolutely shocking'

Pacemaker Colin McGrath, a man with short, greying hair and matching beard, standing outside Hillsborough Castle during a previous press event. He is wearing a navy suit, a white shirt and a brown tie. The Georgian-era brown sandstone building and its black and gold gates are in the background.Pacemaker
Colin McGrath claimed the ED's roof had "failed to the point that patients have to be turned away"

Earlier, Stormont Assembly member Colin McGrath from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said the public "deserves urgent assurances" following reports the roof of the "newly built" ED had leaked.

Mr McGrath, who is also the opposition health spokesperson in the assembly, said: "It is absolutely shocking that the roof of a newly constructed emergency department – opened less than two years ago – has failed to the point that patients have to be turned away.

"This is not a minor snag or a small teething issue. This is a fundamental failure in a critical piece of healthcare infrastructure," he added.