The trust that runs Sandwell Hospital today said it had spent less than £10,000 dealing with the norovirus winter vomiting bug.

Despite closing wards, banning visitors and deep cleaning, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust’s figures is a lot less than the £250,000 bill of beating the virus spent by the trust that runs New Cross Hospital in neighbouring Wolverhampton. Yesterday the Express a Star revealed its huge financial burden from tackling the bug.

The Sandwell trust, which also runs City Hospital in Birmingham and Rowley Regis Hospital, said today that although extra beds were opened up when affected wards were closed, no operations were cancelled.

The only other costs involved were deep cleaning the wards.

Deputy chief operating officer Matthew Dodd said deep cleaning the affected wards cost around £4,000 with the remainder of the total figure being made up of staff costs.

Last month four wards were closed at Sandwell Hospital following an outbreak of the virus. At City Hospital two wards were closed.

Visitors were also banned from adult medical and surgical wards at Sandwell Hospital, in West Bromwich, to stop the contagious bug spreading.

In Wolverhampton, New Cross Hospital chief executive David Loughton said it cost £9,000 to deep cleanse each ward and thousands of pounds had been spent on UV lights to kill the virus in the hospital.

He added it would be at least April before the bug is completely killed off.

The hospital is battling its worst outbreak of norovirus since 2002, with more than 300 patients and 140 staff affected.

The hospital in Wednesfield Road has been forced to introduce a series of measures to combat the spread of the disease.

A visitor ban was put in place on January 18, preventing people from visiting patients unless, in the case of critically ill patients, at the ward manager’s discretion.

The visitor ban has now been partially lifted but five wards remain partially closed as the battle continues to contait he spread of the virus.