Global Microsoft outage causes disruption to businesses and emergency services across Sussex and Hampshire

Businesses, NHS services and emergency services across Sussex and Hampshire have been affected by a major global Microsoft outage, leaving tens of thousands of people unable to access emails and online services.

The disruption has affected several of Microsoft's most widely used platforms, including Outlook, Microsoft Teams and its artificial intelligence services.

Organisations across the South have experienced difficulties accessing essential systems, with some businesses reporting significant disruption to their day-to-day operations.

Sophie Reed, Managing Director of South Coast Home Care, told V2 Radio's News Editor Philip Keeler how the outage is causing major problems for her business:

Victoria Owens is Chief Marketing Officer for PeoplePay Global in Chichester explains how it's affected the company:

Sussex Police has also warned residents that some of its online reporting facilities may be affected.

In a statement shared on social media, the force said:

"Due to a global Microsoft service issue, some online form submissions may be affected.

"If your report is time-critical but not an emergency, please call 101. In an emergency, call 999.

"Thank you for your patience and understanding while this is ongoing."

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police said: "We can confirm that our ability to answer and respond to 999 and 101 calls has not been impacted by the widely reported issues with Microsoft.

"In an emergency please still call 999 as you would normally do and if your report is time-critical but not an emergency please call us on 101.

"We know that the current situation will be causing concern for many this morning but our ability to respond to emergencies has not been compromised.

"Some of our online forms may be affected, so please bear with us on that, but our officers and staff are out on patrol as normal and continuing with their duties, helping to keep you and our communities safe."

West Sussex County Council have released the following statement: "We are currently being affected by the global Microsoft outage meaning our emails and other systems are not working as expected.

"Please bear with us if you are contacting us today or waiting for a response.

"Our phonelines remain open, however, some services may be unavailable.

"We will share an update once systems are back to normal and we thank you for your patience."

The disruption has raised concerns about the impact on essential public services, including healthcare providers and emergency response organisations, which rely on digital systems to communicate and manage daily operations.

An NHS spokesperson said: “With the global Microsoft issue inevitably having a disruptive impact for staff, local NHS services are enacting long-standing measures to manage IT outages and ensure critical services and appointments can continue for patients today - including using other IT systems or paper records where possible.

“Patients should continue to use 999 in an emergency, and otherwise use 111, 111 online, or their local pharmacy, and come forward for appointments unless told otherwise.”

The Government says robust contingency plans are in place to minimise disruption and ensure essential services can continue operating.

Meanwhile, Microsoft says engineers are making progress in restoring affected services, reporting positive results from efforts to resolve the technical problems.

However, some users may continue to experience difficulties while systems are restored.

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