The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Lightning strike knocks out IT at Ninewells
Procedures postponed as network disrupted after thunderstorm
More than two dozen patients had MRI scans postponed after Ninewells Hospital in Dundee was struck by lighting.
The strike during Saturday night’s storm caused a power outage at the hospital and knocked out phone lines at Ninewells and Royal Victoria Hospital.
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said power was quickly restored to the hospital but the incident disrupted its IT network and digital phone systems.
Although the MRI scanner itself was unaffected by the lightning strike, the scans themselves could not be sent electronically until the hospital’s digital network was restored.
Engineers were called out to Ninewells yesterday morning and the network was up-and-running again by lunchtime.
NHS Tayside chief executive Grant Archibald said: “Clinical and support teams were on-site throughout the night and into Sunday to ensure patient services were maintained.
“The outstanding work of the teams to keep our services running has meant surgical procedures and inpatient scans and tests have been able to go ahead.
“Unfortunately, 27 outpatient appointments for MRI scanning which were scheduled for Sunday have had to be deferred. We are very sorry to those patients who were not able to have their scan as planned and we will ensure they are rebooked as quickly as possible.
“I would like to pay tribute and say a big thank you to the staff who were involved in managing this situation. They coped with the emerging issues with real dedication and professionalism, ensuring disruption to services was kept to a minimum and patients continued to receive highquality care and treatment.”
Tayside and Fife were battered torrential rain on Saturday evening.
The storms saw flash floods in many areas, including Dundee.
Cars struggled to drive along Dundee Road at its junction with Ralston Road because of the fast-flowing water.
In Fife, a signalling issue linked to Saturday’s lightning strikes caused delays on the rail network between Dundee and Ladybank yesterday.
Kirkcaldy and Cupar town centres were also badly hit by the downpours. Car parks and businesses at Kirkcaldy’s waterfront were again under water, just days after the last deluge caused disruption in the same area.
Gym64 on Kirkcaldy Esplanade had to close due to flooding and remained shut yesterday as the clean-up operation got under way.
Several communities also reported power cuts as a result of the thundery weather, although none of the outages were prolonged. by