PATIENTS were forced to wade through toilet water after Glasgow's new £842million hospital sprung a leak.

 

Some of the first patients to be admitted to the hospital told how water rose out of the toilets and shower plug holes into rooms and corridors.

At least one room in ward 5A of the new South Glasgow University Hospital had to be emptied of its contents.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the new hospital had experienced problems with the water supply resulting in a leak in ward 5A.

The board said the problem had been resolved and apologised to patients.

Arwen Donnelly, was one of the hospital's first patients, after being transferred on Saturday from the Southern General.

She said: "The water was rising up from the toilet and the bottom of the shower.

"You could smell where it was coming from. The nurses were wading through water and one room had to be emptied of everything. It was very unpleasant."

A spokeswoman for NHSGGC said: "Over the weekend the first inpatients from the old Southern General transferred to the new South Glasgow University Hospital (NSGUH).

"The migration went very smoothly and we would like to thank all our staff involved.

"However, as with any new building of this magnitude, we experienced teething problems with our water supply resulting in a leak in ward 5A.

"This issue has been addressed and we have apologised to patients."

Patients and equipment from the Western Infirmary, Southern General and Yorkhill hospital is gradually being transferred to the new hospital as well as some departments of Gartnavel.

Ear, nose and throat services from Gartnavel and the Southern will be transferred tomorrow (Friday).

Vascular and renal departments from the Western will be relocated over the weekend.