'Black alert' for virus hospital

A hospital serving residents in Norfolk and north Suffolk has been put on black alert which means no more admissions.

The James Paget Hospital in Gorleston has closed three wards because 20 patients are suffering from the winter sickness norovirus.

One ward is undergoing a "deep clean" to allow it to reopen.

Linda Hawtin, infection control matron, said up until now they have controlled the spread of the virus by using one ward to screen possible carriers.

"All emergency admissions are going through this one ward and any patients coming in with symptoms of sickness are isolated there," she said.

"Over Christmas too many patients came in so we could not restrict them all to one ward but our emergency admissions staff helped us control the spread.

"Now it is serious and we want people to stay away if they can but we are asking visitors to stay with one patient because the virus may move with them between wards.

"We are also asking them to wash their hands when they enter a ward and again when they leave."