Fire at Southampton General Hospital: latest update for patients and visitors

University Hospital Southampton remains in a major incident today following a fire in the West Wing of Southampton General Hospital on Sunday morning (1 February).

When the fire broke out, approximately 200 patients were quickly moved to safe areas of the hospital, including corridor spaces, as part of the emergency response. Following extensive work throughout yesterday to repurpose all available space across hospital sites, all affected patients were able to be cared for in beds and on wards by last night.

The majority of patients remain at Southampton General Hospital. However, some were transferred overnight to hospitals across the region as part of a coordinated mutual aid response with healthcare partners, supported by South Central Ambulance Service.

The situation continues to be extremely challenging, and teams are working closely with partner organisations to prioritise safe patient care.

The Emergency Department remains closed this morning and should only be attended if your condition is life- or limb-threatening.

A significant number of planned elective surgeries and some outpatient appointments have been cancelled today. All affected patients have been contacted directly. Anyone with an appointment today who has not been contacted should attend as planned.

Visiting has now resumed as usual. Patients and visitors are advised to check visiting hours with individual wards before attending.

Further updates and information are available on the University Hospital Southampton website.