A major hospital was reportedly left without power for 70 minutes after backup generators failed during Storm Eowyn.
Storm Eowyn was the UK’s most powerful windstorm for more than a decade, bringing a red danger to life warning on the night of January 24 into 25 January this year.
Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert near Falkirk, Scotland, suffered the blackout during the storm.
Computers used for monitoring medications went down, phone lines failed and ventilators relied on internal short-life batteries, according to Sky News.
Whistleblowers on shift that day said it was ‘horrendous’ and said patients were ‘at risk’ during the ‘major infrastructure failure’.
NHS Forth Valley told Sky News no patients were harmed and the cause of the incident was a power surge that caused the electricity supply to trip.
Bosses said maintenance on the generators was up to date but a review on how to avoid a repeat incident was under way.
One nurse told Sky News: ‘We were getting on with our shift and the lights went out. That can happen, but the generators normally kick in right away but that day they didn’t.
‘It was pretty horrendous. It was quite scary. That is the first time in my career that that’s ever happened. It can’t happen again.’
Another whistleblower said: ‘All of the security on the doors also wasn’t working so the doors were automatically open. None of the wards were locked.
‘It’s absolutely horrendous for patient confidence within the NHS.’
A report compiled in the aftermath of the incident suggested neighbouring NHS boards were on standby to help, according to Sky.
The document, authored by NHS Forth Valley Director of Acute Services Garry Fraser, states ‘no identified risks were highlighted with no interruption to the continuity of care, with staff working together to support patients and each other during this very challenging time’.
Mr Fraser said: ‘No patients required to be manually ventilated. There was no patient harm recorded as a result of the infrastructure failure.’
The purpose-built hospital has more than 800 beds and describes itself as ‘one of the most modern and well equipped hospitals in Europe’ with ‘the very highest standard of accommodation and facilities for patients’.
SNP MSP Michelle Thomson told Sky News it has to be a ‘wake-up call’ for other hospitals and health boards in the area
Health leaders elsewhere in the UK have joined calls to urge other hospitals to review their systems, especially in light of the chaos at Heathrow Airport last week.
NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor told Sky News: ‘Your report, plus what happened at Heathrow last week, will, I think, lead many hospital managers to have another think about energy security.
‘What has happened in Scotland is a one-off, but actually it points to a more systemic set of risks which we are having to deal with on a regular basis in the health service.’
In 2024 reported a survey of hundreds of staff across Forth Valley Health Board found workers pushed to ‘breaking point’ by the senior leadership team.
Of the 747 staff who responded to questions about their ‘experience of culture and leadership’ at NHS Forth Valley, three-quarters gave negative feedback.
They accused leaders of victimisation and a ‘threatening’, divisive approach to staff, leaving workers scared to speak out about concerns, including over patient safety.
The research found the impact of the leadership failures on morale resulted in a knock-on effect on patients.
At the time a Forth Valley Health Board spokesman said it had started working on changing the culture before it was put into special measures.
They said: ‘A number of changes have already been made to encourage staff to speak up and ensure that any issues or concerns raised are acted on.’
Forth Valley Royal Hospital has been contacted by for comment.