The Southampton Hospitals Charity has launched an emergency fund to help repair Southampton General Hospital in Hampshire following a major fire on February 1, 2026. The fire began in an endoscopy unit in the hospital’s West Wing due to an electrical fault and forced the evacuation of 502 patients. Many patients were temporarily moved to public spaces and corridors during the incident, which initially put 200 hospital beds out of use and closed 30 clinics.
The Fire Recovery Appeal is now asking for donations to replace medical equipment and restore facilities damaged by fire, smoke, and water. The charity has already provided £12,500 for staff wellbeing and to buy essential items for patients who were separated from their belongings during the rapid evacuation.
Although the major incident status ended on February 13, 2026, the hospital still has 150 fewer beds than usual while recovery work continues. Local MPs have written to the Health Secretary to request extra financial support to protect the health services for the city and the wider region.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
