08/03/10

As a precautionary measure, members of the public are being asked not to visit relatives and friends at Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals to assist in controlling the spread of a Diarrhoea & Vomiting illness (D&V).

Visiting restrictions will continue on all wards this week and will be reviewed again on Friday. Visiting to maternity wards is not affected. Visiting to children’s wards is restricted to parents/ carers.

Several wards at both hospitals have been affected by the D&V illness, of which there are a number of cases in the community at this time of year. The illness usually comes into hospital when a patient is admitted for an unrelated illness or procedure.

Dr Jim Stone, Director of Infection Prevention and Control said: “We would like to thank our visitors for their ongoing patience and cooperation. As a result of the restrictions, the situation is showing significant signs of improvement; however the virus is still prevalent in the community.

“The continuation of precautionary measures is good infection control practice designed to protect patients and control the spread of the illness. I hope that families and friends will understand why we are asking them not to visit for this short period.”

The exception to the restricted visiting is anyone who is visiting on compassionate grounds. These visitors are being asked to please speak to a member of ward staff on entering the ward.

The D&V illness can have relatively mild symptoms and is usually over within 48 hrs, but is highly infectious, which is why the Trust needs to limit the number of people moving in and out of wards.

The general advice to anyone suffering D&V at home is to keep hydrated and maintain high standards of personal hygiene and hand washing. NHS Direct can be contacted on 0845 46 47.

Patients who are unwell with D&V are asked not to attend Hospital Emergency Departments

To find out more about Norovirus on our Action on Infection pages, please click here