Norovirus

Talib Yaseen, Chief Nursing Officer at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust said:

“We are currently experiencing an increase in norovirus cases at Pinderfields and Dewsbury Hospitals, something which is unusual for this time of year.

“To help prevent the further spread and to keep our patients, visitors and staff safe we have introduced visiting restrictions on a few of our wards, this will be kept under daily review. We know that this can be difficult, but hopefully we won’t need to keep any restrictions in place for long.

“There are of course some exceptions to this. Visitors will be able to come to visit their loved ones on affected wards where they are receiving end of life care, or the person visiting is the patient’s carer. If the ward you wish to visit does have restrictions due to norovirus and you are unsure if you can visit then please speak to the nursing team or telephone the ward.

“To help us keep everyone safe in our hospitals whilst norovirus is in circulation we’re asking the public not to visit if you are experiencing any coughs, colds or flu like symptoms, diarrhoea or vomiting or have been in contact with anyone with diarrhoea and or vomiting in the last 48 hours.

“For those who are visiting the hospital, the biggest step you can take to reduce the risk of infection is to prioritise good hand hygiene by washing your hands regularly with soap and water.”

For contact details, please visit: midyorks.nhs.uk/contact-us