Hospital shut to admissions as staff tested

UP TO 40 per cent of asymptomatic staff tested positive for coronavirus at an NHS hospital which closed to new patients this week to “avoid being the cause of an outbreak”.

Weston General Hospital in Westonsuper-mare, Somerset, has not been accepting new patients since 8am on Monday. All inpatients have been tested for the virus, and the hospital is in the process of testing all staff in clinical areas.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust did not respond to questions about reports in a local newspaper that 40 per cent of staff who had been tested saw their tests come back positive.

Somersetlive, a local newspaper website, published details of a memo purportedly sent to NHS staff, which reportedly said the number of inpatients with Covid-19 had risen from 30 to 64. Somersetlive reported that the memo added: “Also on testing asymptomatic staff are reporting 40 per cent of those tested as Covid-19 positive.”

Dr William Oldfield, medical director of the trust, said there was a “high number of patients with coronavirus” in the hospital and added “appropriate segregation” was in place. “Testing for symptomatic staff and household contacts has been offered across the trust since the beginning of April. In addition, there is an emerging picture of asymptomatic staff testing positive for the virus. Any members of staff who have tested positive have self-isolated in line with national guidance.”