UPDATE: Hospital crisis - bug shuts 12 wards (From Worcester News)

UPDATE: Hospital crisis - bug shuts 12 wards

3:50pm Thursday 16th February 2012 in News By James Connell

Hospital lockdown - bug closes a third of beds

A SICKNESS bug which causes violent diarrhoea and vomiting has now closed 12 wards at a Worcester hospital.

Ambulance crews have been forced to take patients to other hospitals and 12 wards are now partially or fully closed at Worcestershire Royal Hospital because of norovirus.

Around a third of the hospital’s 600 beds remain closed to admissions because of the bug.

All visitors are being asked to avoid coming to Worcestershire Royal Hospital as cases of norovirus continue to put extreme pressure on the system.

As a result, all non-urgent elective operations are being postponed and patients given alternative dates, in a bid to ease some of the pressure. However, outpatient clinics are still running.

Other measures in place to bring the situation under control include ambulances being diverted to other hospitals where possible, and GPs are being asked to manage people outside of hospital where possible.

Penny Venables, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Whilst stringent infection prevention and control procedures are being implemented in all affected ward areas, it is very difficult to contain the spread of this extremely contagious illness.

"The situation is escalating and we are now having to increase the measures we are putting in place to ensure that the situation doesn’t worsen.

“Up until now we have had voluntary visiting restrictions in place, asking those who have had symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea in the last 48 hours to keep away.

"We have now taken the unusual step of asking all visitors not to visit Worcestershire Royal Hospital while this situation continues, to help us protect both them and our patients.

"Of course, we will always consider sympathetically any exceptional requests from relatives who have a particular need to visit a patient in any of our wards. If this applies to you, please contact the Matron or Ward Manager.

“Likewise, patients can do their bit to ensure the Emergency Department can focus on dealing with major illnesses and accidents by choosing the right health service for their need at the right time and using the GP Out of Hours Service, Minor Injuries Units or Worcester Walk-in Centre where possible.”

For the latest norovirus situation at Worcestershire Royal Hospital please visit worcsacute.nhs.uk

Further information on treating norovirus at home is available on the NHS Choices website nhs.uk/conditions/norovirus/pages/introduction.aspx