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Hospitals hit by vomiting illness Vomiting illness shuts more wards
(4 days later)
Three wards at a hospital in Bridgend have been closed and three others partially closed because of an outbreak of suspected Norovirus. Eight wards at a hospital in Bridgend have been closed or partially closed because of a suspected outbreak of the winter vomiting bug Norovirus.
Fourteen staff have also become ill during the outbreak which is also known as winter vomiting disease at the Princess of Wales hospital. A number of staff at the Princess of Wales Hospital have also become ill.
Swansea's Morriston Hospital has three beds on one ward affected, as is a ward at Neath Port Talbot Hospital. Two wards at Neath Porth Talbot Hospital and another at Morriston Hospital in Swansea are also affected.
Managers are urging patients to stay away unless they are seriously ill. The local health trust has repeated a plea issued before the weekend for patients and visitors to stay away from the hospitals where possible.
No patients are being admitted or discharged from the Princess of Wales hospital, unless it is to their own home. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust said the sickness and diarrhoea virus was still being tackled, and the advice to patients to stay away remained in force.
The NHS trust said the wards affected at the Bridgend hospital were 2, 4, 6, 10, 17, 18, 19 and 20.
No patients are being moved from these eight wards, it said, except to go home.
Wards C and G at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, and a small section of Ward R at Morriston Hospital are also hit.
Norovirus is the most common cause of diarrhoea and vomiting in Wales and the rest of Europe.Norovirus is the most common cause of diarrhoea and vomiting in Wales and the rest of Europe.
'Severe pressure''Severe pressure'
In a statement, the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust said specialist infection control nurses are trying to minimise the virus spreading, including controlling patient movements and increasing hygiene measures still further. The trust said specialist infection control nurses were trying to minimise the virus spreading, including controlling patient movements and increasing hygiene measures still further.
But they also appealed for help from the public in limiting the spread of the illness, mainly by not coming into the hospital if they have any symptoms and by not visiting friends or relatives who have Norovirus until they are over the infection. But it also appealed for help from the public in limiting the spread of the illness, mainly by not coming into the hospital if they have any symptoms and by not visiting friends or relatives who have Norovirus until they are over the infection.
The trust said its acute hospitals are under "severe pressure" from emergency admissions from a range of illnesses.The trust said its acute hospitals are under "severe pressure" from emergency admissions from a range of illnesses.
It said many elderly patients in particular are being admitted with cold-weather related illnesses, and are taking longer to get well enough to be discharged. It said many elderly patients in particular were being admitted with cold-weather related illnesses, and were taking longer to get well enough to be discharged.
The trust said that in turn meant "the pressure on our beds is consistently high as there are fewer patients going home, with resulting in delays in admitting patients.The trust said that in turn meant "the pressure on our beds is consistently high as there are fewer patients going home, with resulting in delays in admitting patients.
"This in turn is leading to longer waits for ambulances to transfer patients," the trust added."This in turn is leading to longer waits for ambulances to transfer patients," the trust added.
The trust also said patients in A&E departments were also waiting longer than usual, particularly if they turned up inappropriately with non-emergency conditions.
It urged people to go to their own GP for help for minor illnesses or injuries, or to call NHS Direct Wales.