Staffordshire hospital trust tells residents with flu, vomiting and diarrhoea to keep away to ease winter pressures
A Staffordshire acute hospital trust has reported dozens of cases of the sickness bug norovirus in the past month as it battles winter pressures.
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On February 10, there were six beds restricted due to norovirus, diarrhoea and vomiting at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) which includes Stafford's County Hospital. On February 7 there were 12 restricted beds.
In the week up to January 19 the trust recorded 45 cases. In that same week norovirus cases in hospitals soared across England with levels 80 per cent higher than the same period last year, while the figures also show 96 per cent of all adult hospital beds were occupied.
An average of 781 adult beds were filled each day by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms in the week up to January 19.
