Fire at Southampton General Hospital caused by electrical fault
Emergency Department reopens as staff work to recover 200 lost bed spaces
University Hospital Southampton has confirmed that Southampton General Hospital remains under major incident status as recovery efforts continue following a fire in its West Wing on Sunday morning.
The fire service has completed its investigation, determining that the cause was electrical, and has handed the affected building back to the Trust.
Impact on hospital facilities
Despite this progress, the hospital still faces significant challenges, with 200 bed spaces currently unavailable due to fire, smoke, or water damage caused by the incident.
In the immediate aftermath, 502 patients were swiftly relocated to safe areas of the hospital. By Sunday evening, around 200 of those patients were temporarily cared for in public spaces, including corridors, while staff discharged others, transferred some to different hospitals, and repurposed available spaces.
Service updates
The Emergency Department has now reopened, and a limited number of elective surgeries have resumed, prioritising the most urgent cases.
Most outpatient appointments remain unaffected, and patients are being asked to attend as scheduled unless they have been contacted directly by the hospital.
Support for patients
Efforts are ongoing to reunite patients displaced during the fire with their personal belongings. Patients or their families can arrange collection through the Patient and Family Support Hub by calling 0800 4840135.
Trust statement
A spokesperson for University Hospital Southampton acknowledged the dedication of staff during challenging circumstances.
“Thanks to the dedication and hard work of our staff, we have reopened our Emergency Department and resumed a limited amount of elective surgery, prioritising the most urgent cases.
“Our teams are also working hard to reunite patients moved during the fire with their personal belongings,” the spokesperson said.
Patients are thanked for their continued understanding and support as the hospital recovers from the incident.