Hull Royal Infimary norovirus bed closures hit eight-year high

Hospital wards in Hull have been hardest hit by a national outbreak of the norovirus winter vomiting bug, new figures have shown.

Last weekend, the NHS trust which runs Hull Royal Infirmary had to close more than 100 beds due to norovirus or similar illnesses – an eight-year high.

It was the worst affected trust in England last week, as the NHS warned a norovirus outbreak was having an impact on hospitals across the country.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said the situation had improved, but urged anyone with vomiting symptoms to “stay away from hospital”.

The trust had to close 126 beds on Saturday and 122 on Sunday due to norovirus or similar illnesses, NHS figures published on Thursday showed.

This was the highest figure since the winter of 2015-16 and accounted for about a quarter of all the beds closed due to norovirus across England.

The outbreak had forced the closure of two wards at Hull Royal Infirmary, with a further seven partial closures, the trust said.

However, on Friday there was an “improving picture” with just six partial ward closures remaining, it added.

Greta Johnson, director of infection prevention and control, said: “We have managed to reopen a number of wards in the last couple of days, with at least one more due to be deep cleaned and reopened this weekend.

“We have been discouraging patient visiting to affected areas for all but those with essential care needs or at end of life.

“We know this can be difficult for all concerned, so we’d like to thank visitors, patients and relatives for their patience and understanding throughout.

“Our position remains the same for now: visits to patients on affected wards should be avoided in all but essential circumstances.”

Mrs Johnson said norovirus was “highly infectious and can spread easily in places such as hospitals”.

She added: “Regular handwashing for all visitors to our hospitals is essential in helping us further limit the spread of the virus.

“We’d ask anyone who is exhibiting symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting to stay away from hospital and instead seek medical advice from NHS111, either online or over the phone, to avoid passing the illness to others.”

The trust’s other hospital, Castle Hill in Cottingham, was unaffected, it said.

The spread of norovirus was having an impact on hospitals across England, the NHS warned.

The number of people in English hospitals with diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms last week was nearly triple the number seen in the same period last year, NHS England said on Thursday.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said everyone knew “somebody who has had some kind of nasty winter virus in the last few weeks”.

He said the latest data showed this was starting to trickle through to hospital admissions, “with a much higher volume of norovirus cases compared to last year, and the continued impact of infections like flu and RSV in children on hospital capacity – all likely to be exacerbated by this week’s cold weather”.

When a hospital ward is closed due to norovirus, it means visiting is restricted and no further patients can be admitted until the outbreak is over.

Other hospitals across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire were also affected by norovirus and other vomiting bugs last week.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust had 36 beds closed on its worst affected day last week, while York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had up to 35 beds closed.

A spokesperson for the York and Scarborough trust said that as of Friday, only 10 beds were closed due to diarrhoea and vomiting, with no full wards closed.