Emergency heaters had to be installed to keep hospital patients warm last night.

They faced a freezing night on the ward when a pipe burst and flooded Sheppey Community Hospital, cutting off all hot water and heating.

Staff had to order emergency heaters while engineers tried to tackle the breakdown.

Eighteen patients were affected.

The pipe burst in the plant room, knocking out the heating and flooding offices in the basement.

Management was waiting for a replacement part to repair the pipe today (Tuesday).

Sarah Wardle, managing director of Virgin Care, which runs the ward at the hospital in Plover Road, Minster, said: "Following a water leak at Sheppey Community Hospital, which led to a loss of water and heating to our ward, our team activated our contingency plans to ensure we were able to continue to safely operate the service through the night.

"This is a tried and tested plan which ensures services can continue to operate safely and without interruption."

She added: "My thanks go to all of our colleagues for their hard work in responding promptly and keeping patients safe and comfortable throughout."

The hospital is owned by NHS Property Services.

Read more: All the latest news from the Isle of Sheppey

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