25 June 2026

Queen Alexandra Hospital will remain in critical incident today (Thursday 25 June). 

Whilst the chiller units are up and running, the exceptionally hot weather has meant that cooling back down vital infrastructure is taking much longer than normal.  

Critical clinical and digital services are slowly returning but the extreme heat means this process is happening slowly. Patient safety remains our number one priority and so we have extended the critical incident to allow us to bring services back online in a safe and controlled way.  

Some planned care and appointments will continue to be stood down until temperatures have been stabilised. Patients will be contacted if their care is impacted, so can continue to attend appointments unless they hear from us.  

Michelle Stanley, Acting Chief Executive, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said: "Our teams have worked hard to fix the initial issue and our chillers are now back and working. However, the extreme heat means the process of cooling key infrastructure is taking longer than hoped. With temperatures still high we are working to bring back services in a controlled manner to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. 

“We would like to thank all our partners in the region who have stepped in to help during the incident, their support has been greatly appreciated.”   

Essential services continue to remain available for anyone who needs them. If you require urgent medical help, please contact NHS 111 or dial 999. If you do need to attend the emergency department, please bring plenty of water, come alone or only bring one person with you. We appreciate this might be difficult with local schools closed, but it will greatly support our ability to return to full capacity.  

Our local communities should continue to use alternative healthcare options for non-urgent medical concerns whenever possible. This includes community pharmacies, GP practices, urgent treatment centres and NHS 111. 

With the extreme heat continuing into the evening, collecting loved ones who are ready to leave hospital will be hugely important. Prompt and safe discharges help free up beds for patients requiring urgent treatment and support us in responding to the incident.