Visitors Asked To Stay Away To Avoid Spread Of Winter Vomiting Bug

Wye Valley NHS Trust has asked friends and family of patients to avoid visiting its hospitals in order to prevent the spread of norovirus problems which have led to ward closures and some operations being cancelled.

In a statement, the trust has outlined that 50 per cent of its beds are affected by the winter vomiting bug leading to the closure of wards and bays.

It also outlined that its hospitals had seen further pressure after emergency departments admitted 20 per cent more patients than normally expected across last weekend.

Lisa Hunt, the chief operating officer of Wye Valley NHS Trust, said: “We know how beneficial it is for our patients to have visitors. This makes the decision to stop visiting at all our hospitals even more difficult to take.

“However, with many cases of Norovirus out in the community, we can’t afford to have it brought into our hospital and on to clean wards by visitors.”

Expert Opinion

News of the problems faced by Wye Valley NHS Trust is extremely concerning and it is positive to see steps taken to prevent the further spread of the illness which have blighted its services. <br/> <br/>"Our work on behalf of people who have suffered norovirus across the world means we understand the huge issues this can cause in people’s lives, in some cases leaving them with long-term health conditions from which they may never fully recover. <br/> <br/>"As such, the seriousness of these issues should not be underestimated and it is vital that steps are taken in due course to consider what could be done to reduce the risks of similar issues in the future." Amandeep Dhillon - Partner