'Do we need gumboots and hard hats?': Nurses sound alarm over hospital leaks

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Nurses at Hutt Hospital sent Stuff more than 30 photos and a video showing leaks, flooding and apparent electrical hazards.

They say recent storms and a burst water pipe exposed problems across three buildings.

Health NZ says leaks are localised, managed promptly and the hospital remains safe.

Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban says he will look into the issues raised by the nurses.

Nurses at Hutt Hospital are wondering if they should wear gumboots and hard hats to work after storms caused floods and leaks in multiple buildings.

Three nurses, who are also delegates for the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, wrote to Stuff to highlight their concerns about the safety and fitness of three buildings - the Clock Tower, Inpatients Ward and the building that houses the Emergency Department, theatres and ICU.

They supplied more than 30 photos they said showed flooding, leaks in ceilings and windows, damage to ceilings and walls, and wheelie bins being used to collect rain pouring through ceilings, as well as a video of a drenched wall socket that appeared to be buzzing.

The nurses said some of the photos were taken after an incident in May, others after a burst water pipe affected access to the Emergency Department last Thursday, and the rest amid leaks and flooding caused by the storm that battered Wellington on Friday.

Stuff has spoken with one of the nurses who sent the email. She asked not to be named for fear of reprisals from management, but said she and the other authors worked in different parts of the hospital.

“So we have a lot of areas covered,” said the nurse, who has worked at the hospital for six years.

“A lot of staff feel unsafe. This morning we were discussing whether we need to wear gumboots and hard hats to work.

“We have raised the issues internally and building services are trying, but there is only so much they can do with the resources they have. It is not sustainable in the long-term.”

When asked if someone had been hurt, she said: “It’s only a matter of time. We can’t stop the weather and this was just another event.”

Steve Crombie, Health New Zealand regional director infrastructure central, said they were aware of the leaks, which were localised and not “site-wide”.

“Each one is assessed and managed as soon as it is identified, with priority given to anything that could pose a safety or clinical risk,” Crombie said in a written statement. “Our qualified maintenance and infrastructure staff follow established safety protocols, including inspection, isolation and ongoing monitoring.

“The safety of patients, staff and visitors is our priority. When leaks or damage occur, our teams act immediately to make areas safe, including putting up barriers and signage, cleaning to reduce slip risks, and isolating any affected electrical fittings. If needed, areas are temporarily closed until they can be safely reopened.

“We want to reassure the community that systems are in place to identify and manage infrastructure risks, and that Hutt Hospital remains safe for patients, whānau and staff while maintenance and improvement work continues.”

In their email, the nurses said the May leaks meant “visitors, patients and staff entering the hospital were greeted by bins, wet-floor signage and barriers placed beneath apparent roof leaks”.

“The issue persisted over several weeks, suggesting it was not an isolated event,” they wrote.

Last Thursday’s burst water pipe meant temporary fencing, traffic management, heavy machinery and excavation works were required while repairs were done.

Patients and visitors were redirected around the worksite to access emergency care, the email said.

Friday’s severe wind and rain resulted in “observable water ingress across multiple areas of the hospital”.

They said an electrical socket in the corridor opposite the fracture clinic was buzzing, and claimed that the electrician who shut it off said, had that not happened, it would have caught fire.

“Some lights had to be disconnected because of nearby leaks and temporary lighting installed, while video recordings document unusual noises emanating from electrical wall sockets in affected areas,” the email read.

“Although we are not qualified to determine the cause of those noises, they occurred in areas where active water ingress was present,” the nurses wrote.

“As staff members working in clinical areas, we witnessed leaks affecting patient rooms, corridors, outpatient areas and other operational spaces.

“Staff worked hard to manage these conditions while continuing to deliver patient care, implementing temporary measures including towels, wet-floor signage, traffic cones, barriers, industrial drying equipment, temporary lighting and opening ceiling spaces to inspect or contain leaks.”

The nurses say staff, patients and visitors deserve better.

“Patients receiving care are often elderly, frail, acutely unwell, recovering from surgery or have reduced mobility.

“They deserve to receive treatment in an environment that is safe, dry and free from avoidable hazards.”

Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban said he will look into the issues raised by the nurses.

“If you can’t plug something into a wall socket then that’s a problem,” he said.

Health Minister Simeon Brown declined to comment, saying through a spokesperson he had asked Health NZ “for information on the matters you have raised… In the meantime, Health New Zealand is best-placed to respond.”

Labour’s health spokesperson Dr Ayesha Verrall said the Government’s 10-year Health infrastructure plan had cut the maintenance budget and that maintenance was now “mainly reactive”.

“It’s not good enough that patients, whānau and staff have to put up with shoddy, aged hospitals that aren’t maintained well enough to withstand the recent weather,” Verrall said.

“Not only is it unsanitary for patients to be treated and recover, it’s an unsafe working environment for staff. People go to hospital to be helped, not to be put further at risk because the Government has made cuts to the maintenance budget, or that maintenance is only undertaken when things go wrong.”