NHS Trusts experience the equivalent of three fires and almost one flood a day, figures show.
New analysis reveals that in the last year the NHS has reported 358 floods, a high since records began and a 28 per cent increase on the previous year.
Nottingham University Hospitals and Coventry and Warwickshire University Hospitals recorded the highest number of flooding incidents with 56 and 51 respectively.
They were followed by Princess Alexandra Hospitals in Harlow, Essex, with 36.
There were also 1,102 fires recorded in NHS Trusts last year, the equivalent of three a day, causing injuries to 21 people.
The NHS repairs portfolio now stands at £13.8bn, an increase of almost 20 per cent on last year’s record figure of £11.6bn.
NHS Trusts experience the equivalent of three fires and almost one flood a day, figures show
Princess Alexandra Hospitals in Harlow, Essex, recorded the second highest number of incidents with 36
The Central and North West London Trust reported 97 fires last year, the highest in the country, followed by Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust with 93 and Somerset Foundation Trust with 83.
The NHS repairs portfolio now stands at £13.8 billion, an increase of nearly 20 per cent on last year’s record figure of £11.6 billion.
The “high risk” backlog – where failure to urgently address repairs could lead to serious injuries and major disruption to services – has reached £2.74bn.
The Liberal Democrats, who carried out the analysis, called the figures “shocking” and called for investment to repair the country’s “dilapidated” hospitals.
Health and social care spokesperson Helen Morgan said: “It is shocking to think that patients are being treated in hospitals and buildings that suffer from regular flooding and the potential for fires to break out at any time.”
‘The new government must now rise to the biggest challenge facing this country: rescuing our NHS.
“That must start in the Budget with any changes to the tax rules used to invest in repairing our crumbling hospitals.”