NHS hospital suspends all visiting and new admissions over major flu outbreak
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A hospital has suspended all non-essential visiting following an outbreak of influenza. Chalmers Hospital in Banff, Scotland, is also closed to all new admissions, with visiting restricted and enhanced cleaning regimes also in place. NHS Grampian is also urging people with respiratory symptoms to stay at home.
It comes as several NHS trusts across the UK have declared critical incidents because of sustained pressure in A&E departments, with people being treated in corridors and a patient at one hospital forced to wait 50 hours to be admitted to a ward. Public Health Scotland earlier this month described the amount of laboratory confirmed influenza this winter as “extraordinary” – with prevalence at 52.6 per 100,000 of the population in the week up to December 29. A spokesperson for NHS Grampian said: "The hospital is closed to new admissions, visiting is being limited to essential only visits, and enhanced cleaning regimes are in place.
“Influenza and similar illnesses, are very common, especially at this time of year. While unpleasant, most people will recover within a few days. Anyone suffering from any respiratory symptoms should stay at home. "We want to thank all staff at the hospital for their hard work at this time, and to patients and their relatives for their understanding and cooperation.” The health board gave the following examples of where an essential visit will be supported:.
Any essential visitors should not attend if they have any symptoms of illness, reported AberdeenLive. The spokesperson added: “Do not come to any hospital to visit friends or family if you are feeling ill, even if you think ‘it’s just a sniffle’. What is a sniffle to you, might be a life-threatening flu infection to a vulnerable person.".
