Hospital ban over threat of outbreak

New admissions and visitors, except in exceptional circumstances, were banned from Cookley Ward at Kidderminster Hospital today in an attempt to contain a winter sickness bug outbreak.

The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said visitors were also banned from all adult wards at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital unless given the go-ahead by officials.

Some non-urgent elective operations were also being cancelled at the Worcester hospital and officials said patients affected would be notified directly.

The Alexandra Hospital at Redditch was operating normally today. The moves follow outbreaks of the norovirus which causes sickness and diarrhoea.

Medical staff were using masks, gloves and aprons to prevent the spread of infection within wards. The Norovirus outbreak has been identified on four medical wards at Worcester and on the Cookley rehabilitation ward at Kidderminster.