A COTTAGE hospital in West Cornwall has been forced to close

temporarily after a water main burst.

Water was found to be flooding through the ceiling of the

Edward Hain Hospital in St Ives on Thursday night.

Firefighters carried a dozen elderly patients from the

building after the electrics were damaged. The patients have

now been transferred to the community hospitals at Helston and

Camborne/Redruth.

However, Cornwall Primary Care Trust, which runs the

hospital and its minor injuries unit in the popular resort,

says the incident has forced its closure for the time

being.

The cause of the flood will now be investigated and a

deep-cleaning operation undertaken before the small cottage

hospital is reopened.

Linda Day, hospital manager at the PCT, said Edward Hain

would reopen “at the earliest opportunity”.

“The hospital has been closed temporarily while the cause of

the burst pipe is fully investigated, repaired and a clean-up

operation commences. This will also involve a thorough deep-

clean of the hospital.”

While the hospital is closed, patients who require treatment

for minor injuries will be redirected to hospitals at Helston,

Camborne/Redruth or Truro.