Royal Adelaide Hospital airconditioning fails on 34C day, creating ‘genuine risk to patient safety’

AIRCONDITIONING in parts of the Royal Adelaide Hospital stopped working on Thursday morning, posing a “genuine risk to patient safety”.

Royal Adelaide Hospital airconditioning malfunction on November 30. Photo of the temperature control unit inside the hospital’s operating theatres today showing a warm 26.3C. Picture: Supplied.

AIRCONDITIONING in parts of the Royal Adelaide Hospital stopped working Thursday morning, posing a “genuine risk to patient safety”.

After The Advertiser questioned SA Health, the department admitted “there was some temporary disruption to the air conditioning at the RAH”.

A photo supplied to the Advertiser, taken inside one of the hospital’s “technical suites” shows the temperature reached at least 26.3C, with humidity at almost 54 per cent.

The maximum forecast temperature for Adelaide on Thursday was 34C.

The city reached a high of 34.2C at 12.41pm.

SA Health did not answer questions about which areas of the RAH the airconditioner malfunctioned but it is understood it broke down in the hospital’s operating theatres.

“The air conditioning was returned to all areas of the hospital, and services and surgeries are continuing to be provided as normal,” an SA Health spokesman said.

“The cause of the temporary disruption is being investigated.”

The source of the photo, who wanted to remain anonymous, labelled conditions “intolerably hot” and “a real and genuine risk to patient safety”.

It is understood this is not the first time the airconditioning has failed at the new $2.3 billion hopsital.

SA Salaried Medical Officers Association industrial officer Bernadette Mulholland said an RAH doctor advised her the hospital airconditioner was off “for a brief period” in the operating theatres.

“It’s not ideal - you want your airconditioner to be working," Ms Mullholland said.

SASMOA past president Dr David Pope said airconditoning was “critical” for treating seriously ill patients.

“It (temperature control) is essential for various types of surgery and major trauma,” Dr Pope said.

“Very sick patients in hospital are unable to properly regulate their own temperature – that can have quite profound effects on their bodily functions.

“Your body maintains a very strict temperature ... without that, critically ill patients will be very adversely affected by this.”

Last December, faulty airconditioning at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital forced the cancellation of surgeries because the hospital’s system could not remove moisture in the air.

The system malfunctioned again in January this year.