Overnight Power Outages Impact Two Hospitals

The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust reported that an electrical fault resulted in power disruptions at two of its facilities: The Lister and the New QEII hospitals. According to UK Power Networks’ website, the power interruption commenced shortly before 20:00 GMT on Monday, attributed to a malfunction in a high voltage underground electricity cable. The company stated that thousands of customers in the region spanning Letchworth Garden City and Hitchin experienced the impact before power was reinstated. The NHS trust issued a statement, saying: “We immediately enacted our contingency and business continuity plans including using generators and other measures to keep our patients safe.” Maternity services continued to operate without interruption throughout the power outage. The trust confirmed that electricity had been re-established at both hospital locations, including A&E departments, and advised patients to attend their scheduled appointments as usual. UK Power Networks released a statement expressing apologies to its customers, further stating: “Hospitals usually have an alternative power supply in case of emergencies, and we always advise premises which rely on power to invest in back-up supplies for occasional incidents like this.” A spokesperson verified that power restoration occurred incrementally, with “the final one back on by 22:20”, and noted an additional brief power interruption from 00:28 GMT to 00:52 GMT on Tuesday.