More wards closed due to norovirus bug
OUTBREAK CONTINUES AS HOSPITAL VISITS ALSO RESTRICTED
Reporter TWO more hospital wards have been closed as the norovirus outbreak continues.
Visitors have now been barred from a total of 11 wards at North Tyneside General Hospital and Wansbeck General Hospital, Northumberland, in a bid to control the spread of the winter vomiting bug.
The Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation trust confirmed yesterday that wards 8 and 18 had been closed at North Tyneside General Hospital.
Wards 5, 12, 15 and 22 at the hospital continue to be locked down.
The state of play remains the same at Wansbeck General Hospital, with wards 1, 2, 4, 10, and 11b still closed.
Visitors to unaffected wards at both hospitals were permitted for an hour from 2pm, and restricted to just two visitors per bed. The Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation trust has been battling cases of norovirus at its sites for nearly four weeks, with flu also arriving in force after Christmas.
A spokesperson for the trust said: “We realise that this will disappoint people who have loved ones on these wards. Please rest assured that our doctors, nurses and the whole team around them are doing everything they possibly can to get them open. “Please also be aware that, in order to help control the spread of the viruses, it may be necessary, in some circumstances, to transfer patients to different sites within our trust to ensure they continue to receive the highest quality of care.” An update is expected from the trust at 11am today, where it is expected visitor restrictions will be partially lifted for unaffected wards. Full restrictions will remain in place on affected wards. In an attempt to prevent a further outbreak, the trust has asked children under 16 not to visit as they are most at risk of catching or carrying flu or norovirus. Anyone with symptoms of flu or norovirus has also been asked not to visit any ward. In the run-up to Christmas, up to 10 wards were closed as staff battled cases of the sickness and diarrhoea bug.