Five wards at HRI closed by winter bug

Dec 17 2008 by Emma Davison, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FIVE wards have been closed to new patients at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary following an outbreak of a winter vomiting virus.

Hospital bosses took the decision after patients showed symptoms of gastroenteritis, a highly infectious virus which causes sickness and diarrhoea.

Five of the wards are currently not accepting new admissions and restrictions on the movements of the patients are in place to prevent the spread of the infection to other wards and healthcare settings in the Lindley-based hospital.

The wards affected are general medical wards 1, 4, 8, 12b and 21. Restrictions have been in place on respiratory ward 8 since early last week, while the other wards have been closed to new patients since the weekend.

Now health bosses at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust are appealing to visitors showing any symptoms to stay at home.