Royal Sussex County and Princess Royal hospitals faced a major IT meltdown late at night, leading to the declaration of a Critical Incident. This significant outage affected phone and IT systems, causing widespread disruption to essential hospital services and raising serious concerns about patient care.
Hospital staff, alongside external IT experts, responded swiftly and worked tirelessly through the night to restore systems. The South East Coast Ambulance Service collaborated closely with NHS Trusts and partners to stabilise operations and safely divert ambulances during the crisis.
Emergency Departments at the affected hospitals are currently reserved for critical cases only. The public is strongly advised not to attend Emergency Departments for minor health issues. Instead, individuals should use the NHS 111 online service at 111.nhs.uk or call 111 for non-emergency health advice.
The Critical Incident was officially declared at 10 PM, resulting in patient reroutes and ambulance diversions. Emergency care remains available exclusively for life-threatening conditions, with NHS 111 serving as the primary contact for urgent but non-critical health concerns.
Maternity services at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath are experiencing phone access difficulties. Patients are encouraged to use the following direct maternity unit contact numbers: Royal Sussex County Hospital – 07917 751742 and Princess Royal Hospital – 07436 040094.
Meanwhile, St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester and Worthing Hospital are under increased pressure but continue to support the affected hospitals during this IT crisis.
The declaration of the Critical Incident enables hospital staff to prioritise patient care and mobilise additional resources to address the situation. The primary objective remains the full restoration of IT systems. Updates will be provided as the situation develops.
Originally published by UKNIP.
