A total of 26 flooding incidents were reported between April 2021 and March 2022 at NHS sites across north London, new data shows.

It comes as health professionals warned that flooding could become a “major public health issue” as climate change is likely to bring more waterborne damage to NHS infrastructure.

According to analysis by not-for-profit Round Our Way, Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey Mental Health Trust, had the third most flooding occurrences of all the NHS Trusts in England during this time.

Sites run by the trust were flooded a total of 14 times.

NHS data revealed that the other north London trusts that reported at least one flooding occurrence in 2021-22 were:

  • London North West (Brent and Harrow)
  • Moorfields Eye Hospital
  • Homerton University Hospital (Hackney)
  • Camden and Islington
  • Whittington Health (Islington and Haringey)

In 2021, London was hit by two extreme rainstorms. In July 2021, a month’s worth of rain fell on the capital in just three hours, flooding 31 Tube stations and 2,000 properties.

Round Our Way’s report states that: “Surface water flooding has been shown to pose the greatest risk to health and social care assets.

“This is where surface water accumulating from the result of intense rainfall overwhelms drainage systems and as a result excess water cannot be absorbed.”

In total, there were 176 flooding incidents at NHS sites across England between April 2021 and March 2022.

Professor Maggie Rae, president of the Royal Society of Medicine’s Epidemiology and Public Health Section, said: “Flooding has the potential to be a major public health issue.

“As well as the direct risks to life and health, this report is a timely reminder that flooding can knock out the infrastructure we rely on to access and deliver healthcare, such as hospitals, roads and communications.

“We also must not forget the major effect flooding can have on people’s mental health.

“It is acknowledged that the NHS is already overstretched dealing with the burden of disease in our country.

“We need to ensure that flooding does not result in major incidents that will inevitably impact on people’s health and the health services.”

Alexis Percival, a manager at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: "I am really concerned if we don’t tackle climate change, today’s near-misses could become tomorrow’s major disruptions to our NHS.”