An emergency department waiting room at the north’s busiest hospital was closed by hospital bosses as heavy downpour and overnight flooding wreaked havoc on much of the north.
The waiting room at Raigmore Hospital’s A&E room was closed off to members of the public after large downpours in the early part of Wednesday morning forced workers to manually remove much of the roof amid the localised flooding.
As a result, green and white warning tape was placed around the usual entrance to the building, with patients accessing a makeshift waiting room at the rear of the emergency department, near to the hospital’s main entrance.
Ambulance staff entry was also shifted to the temporary entrance as the estates department of the hospital and a local contractor worked to rectify the problem.
Jane Buckley, divisional general manager for the medical division at Raigmore Hospital, apologised for the inconvenience but reiterated that the department remained fully operational.
She said: “The heavy rainfall overnight has had an impact on the waiting area in our Emergency Department. We have put in temporary measures to ensure the department remains fully operational.”
A makeshift A&E sign, hand drawn in red and black pen onto some paper, was placed on the entrance door to alert patients of where to enter.