DISREPAIR in NHS buildings led to thousands of potentially-harmful incidents last year including critically-ill patients being moved when rainfall came through the ceiling.

Sewage leaks, floods and failing equipment also featured in incident records obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act.

Health chiefs called on the government to nearly double its capital spending.

The government said “significant sums” had been invested to modernise the NHS.

According to NHS data, the care of more than 2,600 acute hospital patients was disrupted last year by estates and infrastructure failure.

The BBC asked 210 hospital trusts for examples, and a total of 86 trusts provided a response.

Incidents included:

• Patients awaiting dialysis were sent home because of water supply issues
• Green algae growth in a hydrotherapy pool
• Power lost in an operating theatre
• Sewage leaked into a waiting area for ophthalmology
• Parts of a ceiling collapsed in a clinical area
• An operating theatre reached 29C because of a broken air conditioning unit

The NHS Confederation, which represents trusts, has published a report setting out what health care leaders want the next government to prioritise. 

It has called on the government to increase capital spending on the health service from £7.7bn to £14.1bn. 

Matthew Taylor, its chief executive, said: “Put simply, a lack of capital funding can leave patients at risk.”

Official data shows the total repairs backlog for the NHS was £11.6bn, a rise of 13.6% on the previous year.

Disrepair in NHS buildings led to thousands of potentially-harmful incidents last year including critically-ill patients being moved when rainfall came through the ceiling.

Sewage leaks, floods and failing equipment also featured in incident records obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act.

Health chiefs called on the government to nearly double its capital spending.

The government said “significant sums” had been invested to modernise the NHS.

According to NHS data, the care of more than 2,600 acute hospital patients was disrupted last year by estates and infrastructure failure.

The BBC asked 210 hospital trusts for examples, and a total of 86 trusts provided a response.

Incidents included:

• Patients awaiting dialysis were sent home because of water supply issues
• Green algae growth in a hydrotherapy pool
• Power lost in an operating theatre
• Sewage leaked into a waiting area for ophthalmology
• Parts of a ceiling collapsed in a clinical area
• An operating theatre reached 29C because of a broken air conditioning unit

The NHS Confederation, which represents trusts, has published a report setting out what health care leaders want the next government to prioritise. 

It has called on the government to increase capital spending on the health service from £7.7bn to £14.1bn. 

Matthew Taylor, its chief executive, said: “Put simply, a lack of capital funding can leave patients at risk.”

Official data shows the total repairs backlog for the NHS was £11.6bn, a rise of 13.6% on the previous year.