A major incident was declared at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) following a fire in part of the hospital site, prompting the evacuation of patients and widespread disruption to services.
The fire broke out in the West Wing endoscopy unit in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Emergency services attended the scene, and the fire was contained, with no reported injuries to patients, staff or emergency responders.
As a precaution, around 200 patients were moved from affected areas to other parts of the hospital.
Some patients were later transferred to neighbouring hospitals to ensure continuity of care.
Services disrupted
UHS confirmed that a number of services were impacted as a result of the incident.
Many outpatient appointments and elective procedures were cancelled, while the hospital prioritised emergency and urgent care.
Patients were advised not to attend the hospital unless their condition was life-threatening, and to use alternative services such as NHS 111, urgent treatment centres or pharmacies where appropriate.
The trust said it was contacting affected patients directly to rearrange appointments.
System-wide response
The incident triggered a coordinated response across the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System, with partner organisations supporting patient transfers, discharge arrangements and capacity management.
Local NHS organisations worked together to manage demand and maintain access to urgent services while parts of the hospital remained unavailable.
UHS established dedicated support arrangements to help families locate relatives and recover personal belongings.
The trust also issued regular public updates to keep patients informed about service availability.
Next steps
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
The Trust said that affected areas would remain closed while safety checks and recovery work are completed.
In a statement, UHS thanked staff, emergency services and partner organisations for their response, and apologised to patients for the disruption caused.
The hospital said it would provide further updates as services are restored.