THE trust which runs Andover hospital has declared it has ended its internal major incident after it stepped into help an emergency at Southampton General Hospital today.
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is no longer receiving ambulances diverted from University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust as services at Southampton's hospital have been restored after a power cut and fire this morning.
It Tweeted: "We have stood down our internal major incident following the power cut at #Southampton General Hospital this morning.
"Thank you to all of our brilliant staff who have worked hard to care for an increased number of patients today."
We have stood down our internal major incident following the power cut at #Southampton General Hospital this morning. Thank you to all of our brilliant staff who have worked hard to care for an increased number of patients today.
— Hampshire Hospitals (@HHFTnhs) November 28, 2018
Non-urgent operations and paediatric outpatient appoints were cancelled at Royal Hampshire County Hospital as a result of the emergency.
These cancellations remain in place to allow staff to deal with the extra capacity of patients.
All elective orthopaedic operations due to take place tomorrow, November 29, have also been postponed at Winchester hospital due to the extra pressure on services.
Julie Maskery, chief operating officer at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Royal Hampshire County Hospital and Andover War Memorial Hospital, said: “The response of all of our staff, both clinical and non-clinical, and partners was magnificent.
"We have now been told that we will no longer be receiving diverted ambulances and I have therefore instructed the teams to stand down.
“Our hospitals remain very busy, so I would urge the public to use the NHS 111 helpline to help them decide whether visiting our emergency departments is the best course of action.”
READ: Hampshire Hospitals aiding situation after major incident in Southampton
Hospital managers at Southampton general hospital's Coxford Road site evacuated patients at around 8am this morning, and firefighters were called at 8.41am and extinguished a "small fire" in the north block.
Emergency patients were transported to Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Queen Alexandra Hospital, in Portsmouth, who were all accepting ambulances for Southampton.
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