Major incident stood down at University Hospital Southampton
University Hospital Southampton (UHS) has now stood down the major incident that was declared as a result of the fire that broke out in the west wing of Southampton General Hospital on February 1.
Following the evacuation of 500 patients to safe spaces across the rest of the hospital in the immediate aftermath, UHS have worked with partners (such as ourselves) to ensure displaced patients receive the safe care they need and have been working to restart services where possible.
Some of UHS's services remain impacted as a result of a large part of thier estate being severely damaged, with the hospital now working to contact patients whose appointments have been disrupted.
UHS have now moved into a recovery phase with their services remaining under pressure, as they are currently working with 150 fewer beds than normal.
Supporting University Hospital Southampton
Our focus now will be to provide ongoing support to University Hospital Southampton as they respond and recover from the impact of the fire.
As a community and mental health Trust our focus is on supporting more people to be discharged from local acute hospitals and to be supported at home. This includes
- Extended opening hours of our Urgent Treatment Centre and X-ray service at Petersfield Hospital
- Additional endoscopy, X‑ray, and radiology appointments at Lymington Community Hospital, supporting patients whose investigations would normally happen at Southampton.
- Increased Inpatient capacity to care for patients transferred from Southampton General Hospital, ensuring safe and continuous care during this period of disruption.
- Stepping up other enhanced support offers, moving to 7 day working, standing up more Hospital @ Home services and bringing in displaced UHS staff to support patients.
Major incident declared in Hampshire and Isle of Wight following fire at University Hospital Southampton
On Sunday 1 February, at 5.30am, there was a fire in the West Wing of Southampton General Hospital. Thankfully, nobody was injured but the impact to patients and services has been (and will continue to be) disruptive for some time to come.
When the fire broke out, approximately 200 patients were quickly moved to safe areas of the hospital and, by the end of the day, all those patients were in beds and wards. The majority remained in Southampton General Hospital, but some patients were transported to hospitals across the area in a coordinated response with healthcare partners, such as ourselves.
Our thanks to all the NHS staff - both at HIOWH and within partner organisations - who worked to prioritise safe patient care for those affected and continue to do so now.
For the latest updates about the impact of the fire on University Hospital Southampton’s services, please visit their website. Note, our services continue to operate, so please attend any planned appointments as normal (unless you have been contacted directly about any changes).
Supporting University Hospital Southampton
This week onwards, our focus will be to provide ongoing support to University Hospital Southampton as they respond and recover from the impact of the fire.
As a community and mental health Trust our focus is on supporting more people to be discharged from local acute hospitals and to be supported at home. We have also extended the opening hours of our Urgent Treatment Centre and X-ray service at Petersfield Hospital and are supporting with transport options to help patients be moved to alternative care.
Advice for our patients
At this time of increased pressure on our local NHS, please help us to help you by following the advice below:
- Please only attend the emergency department (ED) if your condition poses a risk to life or limb. If you’re unsure what service to use visit 111 online or call 111 for advice and the team will get you to the right help.
- Urgent Treatment Centres and Minor Injuries Units are available across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and can help with expert advice and treatment for injuries and illnesses that need urgent medical attention but aren’t life threatening.
- Actively support hospital discharge plans when loved ones are ready to return home. For example, could you help transporting your loved ones back home? Helping patients back to familiar surroundings not only benefits them but also frees up beds for those in urgent need of care – which is even more crucial at this time.
- Think ‘Pharmacy First’ for expert advice and treatment of minor illness. Community pharmacies can also now offer prescription medicine for seven common conditions (where appropriate) without the need to see a GP.