Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust – which runs the hospital – confirmed today (May 5) that there are ongoing issues with its water supply, which have been happening since Tuesday (April 28).
The trust has said that repair works have taken place, but the issue remains ongoing.
It has issued a statement advising staff and patients of safety issues, with tap water supplies restricted in parts of the hospital while the situation continues.
Despite the disruption, the hospital has confirmed that it remains open and operational, with patient care continuing under incident response arrangements.
A spokesperson for the trust apologised to patients, visitors and staff for the inconvenience caused by the ongoing problems.
They said that although repairs have now been completed, the water cannot be brought back into normal use until all safety assurance checks have been completed and the supply has been confirmed as safe.
As a result, some patients and visitors will continue to see restrictions on tap water use in certain parts of the hospital.
The trust confirmed that these areas will be clearly signposted for patients and staff.
The hospital says it is working closely with its specialists to complete the process as quickly as possible but stressed that safety assurance checks take time and must be fully concluded before restrictions can be lifted.
The restrictions apply only to some areas of the west block, where tap water use remains limited.
The trust has reassured patients and visitors that toilets across the whole hospital remain fully operational.
It has also confirmed that alternative safe drinking water and independent handwashing facilities are available where needed in affected areas.
The trust is advising staff and patients not to drink tap water in affected areas, to use bottled water and designated handwashing facilities provided, to follow guidance from staff, and to speak to a member of staff if they are unsure which facilities are safe to use.
Restrictions are likely to remain in place until at least the end of this week, when laboratory testing is expected to be completed.
