Norovirus forces Stafford Hospital ward closures

SOME wards shut and visiting is being restricted at Stafford Hospital after another outbreak of the winter vomiting bug Norovirus.
 At least three wards have had to close in a bid to combat the gastrointestinal infection, which can spread easily from person to person and survive for several days in a contaminated area.
 Visitors who have recently been ill with nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea are being asked to stay away from both Stafford and Cannock hospitals.
 The virus caused chaos at the site in January when an outbreak forced staff to shut wards, cancel operations and restrict visiting hours.
 Interim director of nursing Julie Hendry said: "We have had to close wards six, seven and eight to new admissions due to Norovirus.
 “Although we aren’t stopping visitors from coming to the hospital we would ask that members of the public support us in trying to reduce the spread of this infection by not attending either hospital wherever possible.
 “To protect our patients we have restricted visiting hours to one hour a day, and two visitors per patient. However, if you feel it is important to visit for longer than this, please speak to the ward sister and we would be happy to accommodate this.”