A patient in the maternity ward at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital narrowly escaped injury when part of a ceiling collapsed, sending tiles crashing on to a bed and the floor.

Pictures on Facebook show debris spread across the room.

However, a BHB spokesperson said while they were concerned by the incident, they were thankful no injuries were incurred.

“Some tiles in the ceiling of a patient room in Maternity did fall in over the weekend,” explained the spokesperson. “Thankfully, there were no injuries, but we are very sorry that the patient had this experience.

“The tiles had got wet due to a leak, which is currently being repaired.”

The maternity ward is situated in the General Wing of KEMH, which is more than 50 years old.

“Our patients’ care and safety is our priority, even in the older parts of the hospital,” added the spokesperson.

“We certainly understand this may cause concern in the community and we would reassure people that we have a maintenance programme of work to ensure the infrastructure remains safe for clinical care in the older parts of the hospital.

“We will continue to do everything possible to maintain our buildings and keep those in our care safe.”