Around £500,000 has been put aside to combat winter viruses at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital – after its worst outbreak of winter vomiting bug norovirus in eight years.

Preparations to combat winter viruses at the site have started two months earlier than usual, health bosses said.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Hospitals Trust spokeswoman Samantha Turner said today: “We have introduced the winter planning early this year.

“It usually gets stepped up in September or October time. But it is starting this month.

“We will look at each department in the hospital and look at what people need to think about.

“We also need to think about what information needs to be given to staff as well as patients so they know how to prevent the risk of viruses spreading.”

She added not all the money set aside for winter would be spent if the outbreak was not severe but added more may need to be used if there was a pandemic.

“The amount set aside for winter planning is up to £500,000 which will not necessarily all need to be used,” she said.

“We are continuously making plans for the services provided here at the trust and each year we have a specific plan for winter which is funded.”

The plan also takes account of pandemic flu and other potential outbreaks.

It cost the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Hospitals Trust more than £250,000 to tackle the norovirus spread last winter.

Around 300 patients and 140 staff had fallen ill.

It was the worst outbreak of the winter vomiting bug at the hospital since 2002.

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.

Wards were shut, strict measures imposed and visitors banned following the outbreak of the bug.

Earlier this week, the hospital announced a new £3 million kitchen block was being built at the Wednesfield Road hospital to improve the food on offer to patients.

Set to open in the autumn, it will replace the existing 1960s building at the hospital site and will allow a new menu to be launched.

Bosses say it will mean a wider choice of food for patients.

A £3 million project to build two new operating theatres is also gathering pace.

Bosses say the operation theatres are necessary because non-emergency operations are expected to increase by nearly 4,000 over the next six years. The new theatre development, which will also include a recovery unit, is estimated to cost £3,245151.