Power Outage Closes Portsmouth ER Department

Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth has declared a major incident due to a serious power outage, closing its emergency department to new admissions. The power loss, reported shortly after 7am on Monday, has also impacted the hospital's phone lines and switchboard. The hospital remains safe, and staff are working to continue caring for current patients while efforts to restore power are underway. Patients with serious medical conditions are advised to contact NHS 111 or 999 instead of visiting the emergency department. Some services may be affected, and there could be cancellations, but patients are encouraged to attend their appointments unless notified otherwise. The incident follows similar power outages at hospitals in Bristol and Swindon earlier this year.