Lymington hospital staff ‘apologising for lack of drinking water’ after coolers removed for upgrade
AN upgrade at Lymington hospital left staff having to apologise to patients for lack of drinking water, a staff member has claimed.
Lymington Hospital Friends stepped in to supply emergency bottles, with Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the site, maintaining all wards and clinics have access to safe drinking water.
The trust decommissioned 13 water coolers at the Ampress Park site in mid December, and a hospital employee who wanted to remain anonymous told the A&T it was “an absolute disgrace” that staff were having to apologise.
“Patients and staff should be able to obtain water to drink. It is awful when we have to tell patients ‘sorry we do not have any drinking water’,” they said.
While staff have limited access to tap water in ward kitchens, it is warm and has a “vile smell”, they added. “We are having to boil bottled water to make a hot drink.”
A spokesperson for the Lymington Hospital Friends told the A&T it was aware of the situation and added: “The Friends supplied some emergency bottles of still and sparkling water to the hospital for patients and staff to use if required.”
The trust says two water coolers remain in situ: one in the urgent treatment centre and another on the first floor of the main hospital.
The trust told the A&T in a statement: “We are currently in the process of upgrading our water coolers at Lymington hospital.
“This upgrade should be complete within the next few months and involves 13 water coolers being replaced with around five modern contactless infrared devices – for improved hygiene control – in the clinic and waiting areas, following consultation with staff and patients.
“During this upgrade, we have provided bottled water, purchased by the Friends of Lymington, for patients and staff to use, until we have properly assessed the areas where access to tap water may be difficult.
“This said, we currently have two water coolers in use – one in the urgent treatment centre and another upstairs near the services based on the first floor.
“All of our wards and clinics have access to safe drinking water, it is just currently in some of the communal waiting areas for patients where bottled water has had to temporarily be made available.”