Power cut halted child surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital

A power failure forced Great Ormond Street children’s hospital to close nine of its 15 operating theatres after crucial ventilation systems stopped working.

The London hospital declared an incident on Thursday morning after the problem meant that operations on six children had to be stopped.

Ventilating operating theatres is essential during surgery because it draws air up and away from the patient, reducing the risk of contamination and surgical wound infections.

It is the latest incident linked to the hospital’s infrastructure. A week earlier, two nurses were given an electric shock by a light switch in an operating theatre before an operation. They did not suffer any serious injury.

All theatres were back up and running by the end of the day, and the affected children have either had their procedures or are booked in for this week.

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Source: The Times, 5 September 2026