Major Incident As Power Cut Hits Hospital

Reading's Royal Berkshire Hospital has declared a major incident and A&E has been partly closed because of a power cut.

The hospital remains under "extreme pressure" following a power cut and what was described as an "isolated fire" on Thursday.

The accident and emergency service was closed to all but life-threatening injuries or conditions for a period - but some ambulances are now being allowed through.

Mary Sherry, chief operating officer for Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We have completed all necessary patient moves within the hospital due to Thursday's power outage, resulting in 89 patients safely moved from Battle Block.

"We are working to restore power with additional temporary generators at some point over the weekend.

"This (Friday) evening we started to gradually reopen our A&E to receiving ambulances.

"The hospital still remains on internal incident alert and is still under extreme pressure.

"We would ask for the public to consider and only attend our A&E if critically ill."

Ms Sherry said patients had to be moved from the coronary care unit to another ward because of smoke from the fire.

All water has been restored across the hospital.

Members of the public have been asked to either attend an urgent care centre, a walk-in centre, or A&E at Wexham Park, Stoke Mandeville, Frimley or Basingstoke.