Whipps Cross Hospital suffered a power outage and “serious damage” to the building after rain flooded its basement on Sunday.

Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, declared a major incident and was forced to move 100 inpatients from affected wards, including to some of its other four hospitals.

At 9pm on Sunday, after hours of torrential rain, the hospital asked people requiring emergency care to use another A&E “if possible” and continued to divert ambulances yesterday.

A Barts spokesperson explained all planned surgeries and outpatient appointments at the hospital on Monday had been cancelled, although it hopes those later in the week will go ahead as planned.

They said: “We cancelled all planned surgery and outpatient appointments, and are diverting ambulances while we work hard to clean up affected areas of the hospital. 

“We are working closely with other hospitals across the Barts Health group to maintain patient care, and asking the public to check the latest visiting arrangements for each hospital on our website before coming to any site.”

The hospital’s emergency department and maternity unit remain open for walk-ins, although patients are still asked to travel to alternative hospitals where possible.