Southampton hospital fire disrupts services for second day

Second hospital evacuated in two days

The disruption has continued across Southampton’s hospitals. A fire at Southampton General Hospital forced the evacuation of hundreds of patients. It led to widespread cancellations.

On Monday, Royal South Hants Hospital was also temporarily evacuated after alarms sounded shortly after midday. Patients and visitors were asked to leave the building for around half an hour before being allowed back inside. The hospital later returned to normal operation.

Fire at Southampton General Hospital

The original incident began early on Sunday morning. A fire broke out in the endoscopy unit at Southampton General Hospital. More than 100 firefighters were called to the scene and around 200 patients were moved out of the affected west wing as a precaution.

Hospital officials said the endoscopy suite had been completely destroyed, along with all of its equipment. Adjacent wards were also damaged by smoke and heat, leaving more than 100 beds temporarily unusable.

Major incident declared

A major incident remains in place at University Hospital Southampton, which runs the general hospital. Senior managers said most displaced patients were accommodated elsewhere in the building, while others were transferred to neighbouring hospitals as part of a coordinated response with ambulance services and regional partners.

Fire investigators remain at the site and the cause of the blaze has not yet been confirmed.

Emergency department restrictions

The hospital’s emergency department has been closed to most patients, except for those with life- or limb-threatening conditions. Large numbers of planned operations and outpatient appointments have also been cancelled for a second day.

The trust said all affected patients had been contacted directly. Those who have not been notified are being advised to attend appointments as planned.

Patients describe evacuation

Patients who were inside the hospital when the fire alarms sounded described scenes of confusion and urgency as staff worked to clear wards.

One man, who was asleep when the alarms went off, said staff rushed in with beds and wheelchairs to move people away from the affected area.
“All hell broke loose,” he said.
“They needed as many staff as they could to push beds. We ended up in corridors because there was nowhere else to put people.”

Others evacuated from Royal South Hants Hospital on Monday said they were told to wait outside while staff investigated the alarm. Some reported a lack of information at first, but said the situation remained calm and orderly.

Praise for hospital staff

Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur praised hospital and emergency staff for their response.
“No one was hurt and there were no fatalities,” she said.
“Patients were moved to safety and the situation was brought under control quickly. The professionalism and bravery of staff under intense pressure was extraordinary.”

She added that she was in contact with the hospital trust and government ministers to ensure the hospital had the support it needed to recover.

Wards slowly reopening

Hospital leaders said some areas of the west wing had reopened after cleaning and ventilation, including oncology and infectious disease units. However, several wards remain closed and are being assessed one by one.

Chief medical officer Paul Grundy said:
“We are working through the affected wards progressively and hope to reopen more over the next few days. Managing patients who require endoscopy will be particularly challenging.”

Personal belongings missing

The trust also confirmed that some patients had been separated from their personal belongings during the evacuation, including mobile phones and clothing. A dedicated support team has been set up to recover items when it is safe to do so and to contact relatives.

Royal South Hants evacuation

At Royal South Hants Hospital, alarms triggered an evacuation shortly after noon on Monday. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service did not attend the incident and no injuries were reported.

Patients were escorted back inside after around 30 minutes. The trust said it was still gathering information about what caused the alarm.

What happens next

Fire investigators continue to examine the damaged endoscopy unit at Southampton General Hospital. Hospital leaders say disruption is likely to continue for several days, with reduced services and ongoing appointment cancellations.

Patients are being urged to check hospital messages carefully and only attend the emergency department if their condition is serious or life-threatening.