Sickness bug at three hospitals

Operations at three Worcestershire hospitals have been cancelled due to an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting.

Fourteen wards at Worcestershire Royal, Alexandra and Kidderminster hospitals are affected. In some cases, the highly infectious Norovirus is being blamed.

The operations are being cancelled because of a lack of available beds.

Dr Anne Dyas, from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said moving patients increases the risk of the outbreak spreading.

"We've got to keep the sexes separate," she told BBC News.

"We prefer not to move patients if at all possible. The more moving we do, the more we risk spreading it in new areas."