[3] The original buildings were of red brick construction,[3] and the site was in a largely rural area, linked to Portsmouth and the surrounding villages (now suburbs) by a tram service.

[3] The Second World War saw the first civilian patients admitted, and several temporary huts added to the site to increase capacity.

[3] Later in the 1960s, it was announced that the Queen Alexandra would become a district general hospital, complete with an Accident and Emergency department.

This involved the construction of several new buildings, which began in 1968 with an eye department,[3] a training school for nurses[3] and two three-storey blocks for staff accommodation.

[3] Over the subsequent three years, the South Block was refurbished, culminating in the Trevor Howell Day Hospital opening in 1983.

[6] Work began in March 2021 to create a new 72 bed ward in what was previously the North Car Park, whilst plans for a new multi-story car park are in preparation, and longer term proposals for a £58m revamped Accident and Emergency Department are also being drawn up.

[2] On 7 January 2022 the hospital declared a major incident following a water leak affecting ground floor clinical areas.