Some patient appointments and treatments at Christchurch Hospital have been postponed following a fire in one of the hospital buildings earlier today.

Health New Zealand Group Director of Operations for Canterbury Waitaha Hamish Brown said the fire broke out in a power supply room on the second level of the Waipapa building at 12.26PM.

Brown said sprinklers and fire alarms were triggered, with Fire and Emergency New Zealand responding in line with standard safety procedures.

“Our team followed the appropriate safety processes, and the fire was quickly extinguished,” he said.

Brown said all patients and staff remained safe, although some patients were moved to other areas due to strong odours from the incident.

“A number of patient appointments and treatments have been postponed due to the incident and are being rescheduled as soon as possible,” he said.

Brown said clean up work was continuing, including addressing water damage caused by the sprinklers.

While that work is underway, Brown encouraged people with non urgent health concerns to consider other options for care, including Healthline, local general practitioners, healthcare providers, or community pharmacies.

“However, anyone who needs urgent or emergency care should come to the Emergency Department without delay or call 111,” he said.

Brown thanked patients for their patience and understanding, and acknowledged hospital staff and Fire and Emergency New Zealand for their rapid response in keeping the hospital safe.