Nurse asks hospital visitors with tummy bugs to stay away

Date published: 18/02/2006

Visitors planning to see friends or relatives in Fairfield General Hospital should stay away if they have got a tummy bug, according to a senior infection control nurse.

Louise Dickinson is the nurse consultant in infection control for Pennine Acute Trust, which runs Fairfield General Hospital in Bury.

She has issued the advice after around 30 patients in the hospital contracted norovirus, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting.

The bug is self-limiting, and symptoms last for just a few days. Infection control teams at the hospital anticipate that the problem will be sorted within a week.

However, in the meantime, they have placed visiting restrictions on the four wards affected, and are asking anyone with a tummy bug to avoid visiting relatives in any ward at Fairfield, in order to cut the chance of the condition spreading.

Wards 6, 18, 19 and 21 have all got restrictions on visiting - only close family are allowed to visit.

The situation is being constantly monitored, and daily meetings are held between the hospital's infection control nurses, ward staff and bed managers.

Louise said: "The condition often occurs in winter, and is self-limiting, so we should be through the situation shortly. No-one wants to see patients miss out on visits from families or friends, but, in the meantime, these restrictions help us focus on tackling the problem and stop it spreading.

"The really important message is that anyone with a tummy bug should avoid a social visit to any ward at the hospital. We would say that at any time, but it's particularly important when we're tackling these current cases."

Norovirus circulates freely in the community, and, across the country, there have been a number of recent cases reported at schools and nursing homes.

Louise added: "By restricting visits we also cut the chance of the bug spreading back out into the community locally. Staff, patients and visitors have all got a part to play, and by doing it we can address the problem as quickly as possible."

Anyone who is unsure whether they should visit their relatives or not should simply contact the ward directly in advance.