Patient's grandson buys 200 bottles of water to help ease hospital leak crisis

The grandson of a patient being treated in a Manchester hospital hit by a major water leak has dug deep to help ease the crisis.

Marcus McCluskey, 23, spent three hours visiting Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and Royal Manchester Children's Hospital on Sunday night to deliver 200 bottles of water.

A fourth hospital, Saint Mary's, was also affected.

Mr McCluskey said:

Mr McCluskey, an emergency medical dispatcher for North West Ambulance Service born in Manchester, bought the water from Tesco Express, on Ardwick Green, and Sainsbury's Local at Piccadilly Station.

Staff at the outlets helped him load his car and a Sainsbury's assistant store manager contributed £10 towards the cost, before he made the mercy mission - finishing his delivery at 11pm.

Mr McCluskey split the supply of water between adult accident and emergency, child accident and emergency, neonatal and paediatric intensive care units, the birthing suite, and the ward where his grandmother is being treated.

Affected hospitals cancelled operations on Monday morning and patients have been urged to stay away while the problem is rectified, unless there is an "urgent clinical need".

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said cancer operations would take place as planned, along with any urgent procedures.