Six wards shut over sickness bug

Six wards in a Stoke-on-Trent hospital have been closed to new admissions because of norovirus.

The University Hospital of North Staffordshire said it was experiencing its highest number of winter vomiting cases so far this year.

It asked all non-urgent visitors to stay away to help prevent the virus from spreading.

A spokeswoman said it was putting extra pressure on bed spaces but was within the hospital's contingency plans.

She said the hospital anticipated there would be a rise in the seasonal illness, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting and can last for up to two days.

The hospital has planned accordingly, she added.

Although wards are closed they have not been left empty.

Coldest month

The spokeswoman said: "It's not that they don't have any patients, it's just that they are not allowed to accept new admissions, which is a problem if the number of accident and emergency admissions rises significantly."

Ambulance services said the cold start to the month and outbreaks of illness had created unprecedentedly high levels of calls across the country.

So far, this December has been the coldest for 30 years in many parts of Britain.

The hospital spokeswoman said: "It is a complex process when wards are closed but we can move certain patients, although some beds will be left empty.

"We work closely with the primary care trust, who make beds available in community hospitals and nursing homes."