5PM UDPATE: VISITORS are being advised to stay away from Arrowe Park Hospital's accident and emergency department following a power cut earlier today.

Ambulances had been diverted to other hospitals and operations were suspended as engineers worked to restore power, but are now being accepted back at Arrowe Park.

Patients who have been referred by their GP are also now being allowed in, and the maternity unit is now open for admissions.

A statement on the situation is due be made at 6pm.

In a statement this morning Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust said: "Arrowe Park Hospital is currently experiencing problems with power supply. All wards and clinical areas are served by an emergency supply and are functioning as normal.

"As a precaution, ambulances are being diverted to neighbouring hospitals and all operations are temporarily suspended.

"We are working hard to resolve the situation as soon as possible, but would please ask the public not to come to our A&E or visit the hospital unless absolutely necessary."

A hospital insider told the Globe: "It all went down at around 8.30am and the whole hospital is affected.

"It's not an internal problem, Scottish Power are working on it. The hospital has an emergency power-generator operating.

"It's a major incident, but we don't how long it could be before power is back on.

"It's important to say that patients safety is not in question. But it could affect things like patients' records, which are computerised."

The problems follow a complete black-out in Hoylake last night, which left residents without power for  more than an hour.

It's not known whether there's any connection between the two incidents.

The Globe has contacted Scottish Power, which said it has engineers on site, although the cause of the power failure is not yet known.

More later.