Visitors are being turned away from two hospitals after 13 people have fallen ill with norovirus.
Visiting to all adult acute areas at the Countess of Chester Hospital has been paused, while all visitors heading to the Ellesmere Port Hospital are being turned away.
The trust said the number of patients admitted with norovirus to the two hospitals had risen quickly in the last week, reflecting a national trend. Thirteen patients currently have norovirus across both hospitals, with one ward at the Countess completely closed off to new admissions, CheshireLive reports.
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Norovirus is a stomach bug that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said the bug "is active amongst a small but growing number of patients" and that "staff are at risk of catching it."
Visits will be permitted at the Countess for patients who are extremely vulnerable, living with a disability or patients who are at the end of life on a case by case basis. Visiting to the critical care unit and paediatric, neonatal and obstetric wards in the Women and Children’s Building can continue as normal.
The hospital warned the spread of the bug would put more pressure on hospital services due to patients being isolated in single rooms and wards being closed off. The freezing weather is also seeing more patients attending A&E.
If you catch Norovirus, the Trust advises to make sure you rest and have plenty of fluids. Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water is the best way to prevent its spread, it added.
Sue Pemberton, Acting Director of Nursing and Quality and Assistant Chief Executive Officer, at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “We all know somebody who has had some kind of winter bug recently and this is now starting to trickle through to hospital admissions, with a much higher volume of norovirus cases compared to last year that is exacerbated by this week’s cold weather.
“It is clear that we need to contain and control the cases of norovirus in our hospitals to prevent it spreading, and so we have taken the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily pause visiting to Ellesmere Port Hospital and all adult acute inpatient wards at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
“Restricting visiting is the right thing to do to protect everyone in our care however if you are affected by this and have concerns about the welfare of your loved one please don’t hesitate to contact our PALS team who can work with you to address your concerns.
“I know it can be difficult having a loved one in hospital especially if you cannot visit them and we will restart visiting as soon as we can but our absolute priority is to protect our patients and keep them safe. We will announce any further changes to visiting – including restarting it – on our website and social media.
“Please also help to manage winter pressures and use local NHS services in the usual way – by calling 999 in an emergency and using NHS 111 for other health conditions – and by getting their Covid and flu jabs if eligible.”
If you have a question or concern about your loved one while they are in hospital and you are restricted from visiting, contact the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Patient Advice and Liaison Service on 01244 366066 or freephone 0800 195 1241 (option 2) or cochpals@nhs.net.
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