The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Medical practice left damaged by Monday morning flooding
Staff shut practice down as water poured through ceilings
Water poured through the ceilings of the Perth City Medical Centre forcing its closure to all patients yesterday.
A burst water tank is believed to be behind the flooding, which caused extensive damage to the Caledonian Road practice.
Signs hastily put up on entrances warned of an emergency closure and that the building was “unsafe” – temporarily at least.
Telephones and electricity were cut off, leaving computer systems down and prescriptions unable to be processed for much of the day.
The centre’s seven GPs were left unable to see patients, though the surgery reopened midway through the afternoon.
Plumbers and electricians worked hard to make repairs and ensure the building was safe for staff and patients to return to.
Practice manager Wendi Lees said the flooding had been an unwelcome surprise for staff.
She said: “It appears that a water tank burst and that caused water damage to quite a large part of the medical centre.
“Unfortunately that meant we had to temporarily close our doors and cancel appointments.
“It was not just about clean-up as we had to ensure the building was safe for our patients and staff.”
Though the surgery was deemed safe after some hours of checks and repairs, parts of the building remained out of bounds.
Patients should experience minimal disruption today, although practice nurse rooms are among those areas that have still to be fully assessed.
They remain closed for safety reasons, although steps have been taken to ensure that does not affect care.
The exact cost of the damage is still being counted and Ms Lees said early contact with insurers had been delayed because of the bank holiday.
Patients were urged to contact NHS 24 in an emergency during the closure.
We had to ensure the building was safe for our patients and staff. WENDI LEES