SOUTH SOMERSET NEWS: Norovirus outbreak at Yeovil Hospital

YEOVIL District Hospital is asking members of public to avoid visiting one of its wards to help them control an outbreak of the Norovirus diarrhoea and vomiting bug.

Sixteen patients on Ward 7b, and three members of staff, are currently unwell with the virus.

The ward has been closed to new admissions and visiting restrictions have been put in place whilst intensive cleaning takes place.

The hospital contacted patients’ families on Monday (April 3, 2017) to advise them of the infection and ask them to avoid visiting.

Shelagh Meldrum, Yeovil Hospital’s director of nursing and elective care, said: “Our priorities are to avoid this infection spreading any further within this ward or into other parts of the hospital, and to look after all those who are currently staying on this ward.

“Norovirus is an extremely unpleasant virus which can spread very easily, particularly in places such as hospitals, schools, and care homes, where people spend a lot of their time in close proximity to one another.

“Whilst our expert teams are working hard to clean the ward and keep people safe we need the public to play their part by only visiting this ward if absolutely necessary.

“An outbreak in the hospital is often a sign that the virus is circulating in the community so we also need people to stay away from the hospital if they feel unwell or have been unwell, leaving at least 48 hours after the last of the symptoms have stopped before.”

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