£97,000 bill for hospital chimney repairs

At a board meeting on Wednesday George Melling, the trust's commercial director, said 'extensive' corrosion had been discovered in all four chimneys during a routine inspection on February 17.

As a result the structures were deemed unsafe and more than 100 patients were diverted 20 miles away to Eastbourne after the Conquest's A&E unit was shut for safety reasons.

Firefighters from Hastings spent more than two hours at the hospital on The Ridge cordoning off the affected parts, as well as evacuating patients and staff from A&E and pathology.

At Wednesday's meeting Mr Melling said repair work amounted to 97,000 in total.

The chimneys have been replaced with stainless steel structures which are resistant to corrosion.

The original chimneys were built in 1990 and put into use in 1992 when the Conquest opened.

Mr Melling said the old structures corroded due to the continuous burning of natural gas and heavy fuel oil, as well as wear and tear caused by rain and condensation.