A power outage and issues with the radiators have left patients and staff at Royal Bournemouth Hospital suffering with the cold over the weekend.

A combination of factors - including air pockets in the radiators, drop in temperatures and issues with the electricity supply locally - have led to patients being given extra blankets and electric heaters put in wards.

Temperatures have plummeted over the weekend, with a weather warning issued for ice in parts of Dorset.

A spokesperson for University Hospitals Dorset said electricity 'brownouts' in the local area caused automatic doors at the Castle Lane hospital to 'malfunction'.

This led to "prolonged heat loss from the building as the cold wind chilled corridors".

While this is now fixed, it is likely to take "some time" for the large building to get back up to temperature, the spokesperson added.

A brownout is a very brief interruption in the electrical supply locally.

Yesterday, there were a number of issues with power cuts and electricity supply in the local area, including Townsend, Holdenhurst and Queens Park. Around 140 postcodes in this area were affected, said the SSE power outage map.

As well as the drop in temperature and issues with power, the hospital's radiator system has some air pockets, and is not "operating optimally".

"The estates team is working over the weekend to identify and remove these air pockets so we can return to the full heat of the system.

"This is just like a domestic radiator system but with several kilometres of piping to check", the spokesperson said.

"Until the radiator system is operating as normal again electric heaters have been issued to wards, and staff are asked to ensure patients and visitors stay clothed appropriately, and have extra blankets if required."

A UHD spokesperson confirmed on Sunday morning that the situation was improving.