Southampton General Hospital remains major critical incident after fire

University Hospital Southampton has confirmed it remains in a major incident following a fire in the West Wing of Southampton General Hospital yesterday morning.

The fire led to approximately 200 patients being quickly moved to safe areas of the hospital, including corridor spaces. By last night, all displaced patients were being cared for in beds and wards. Most remained within Southampton General Hospital, while others were transferred to hospitals across the region in a coordinated response involving South Central Ambulance Service.

Efforts to reopen affected areas

Staff at University Hospital Southampton have been working to ventilate, clean and safely re-open parts of the damaged West Wing, allowing some patients to be moved back to those wards.

However, the incident has left some patients without personal belongings, including mobile phones.

A spokesperson for University Hospital Southampton said:

“We understand the anxiety this is causing relatives and want to reassure them we have a dedicated team of staff in our Patient Support Hub working to recover belongings when it is safe to do so and make contact with next of kin.”

Emergency response

The Trust confirmed that the fire broke out at 5.30am on Sunday and activated their robust emergency plan.

The spokesperson also praised staff for their efforts during the incident.

“We would like to take this opportunity to recognise the heroic efforts of our staff in the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s fire, in particular those who swiftly moved patients to safety when the fire broke out,” they said.

The situation remains challenging as the hospital continues to prioritise patient care in collaboration with healthcare partners.

Impact on services

Southampton General Hospital’s Emergency Department is closed except for life or limb-threatening emergencies.

A significant amount of planned elective surgery and outpatient appointments has been cancelled, and affected patients have been contacted. Those with appointments who have not been contacted are advised to attend the hospital as planned today.

Visiting hours have now resumed as normal, but patients and visitors are advised to check timings with the relevant ward.

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