Electricity outage at Leeds hospital centre due to 'extraordinary issue'

Seacroft Hospital, where the centre is based.

Emergency lighting had to be used at a Leeds hospital centre last night due to a power dip causing an "extraordinary issue".

The outage affected the Newsam Centre at Seacroft Hospital, which treats people for mental health problems.

Chief operating officer Joanna Forster Adams said: "The electricity at Newsam Centre went off at 4.15pm on Sunday evening.

"The building had emergency lighting only for about two and a half hours.

"The situation was explained to service users and our staff worked hard to make sure everyone was safe and secure throughout.

"We understand that there was a power dip across Leeds which caused an extraordinary issue with the Centre’s back up generator.

"We are now in discussion with Interserve, which maintains the building under a PFI agreement, and the National Grid to minimise the opportunity for this to happenagain.”