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FSH flood emergency delays surgery

Patients are being warned some elective surgery at Fiona Stanley Hospital could be cancelled for several days after a main hot-water pipe ruptured yesterday causing major flooding and forcing management to close theatres, place it on ambulance bypass and move several patients.

Eight operating theatres could be out of action for a week, leaving just seven in use, after an incident caused thousands of litres of water to gush out after a piece of bellows between two pipes burst in the main building just before 5am.

FSH acting executive director Paul Mark denied patient safety was put at risk but said the incident affected hot-water and ventilation systems, meaning patients could not have hot showers and wards could not be heated.