early morning cup of tea yesterday -- after the hospital's water system shut down.

The whole hospital was without water for more than two hours after a compressor tripped at about 6 a.m.

But a hospital spokeswoman said the shutdown did not put any patients at any sort of risk and normal service was quickly resumed.

But one patient in Cooper Ward, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's been just awful. People can't go to the toilet because they won't flush and we've just told me that breakfast is going to be late because they don't have any water in the kitchens.''