Infections lead to closure of LVH wards LVH

And patients have experienced delays getting a bed because of the increased pressure caused by the number of admissions.

The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust revealed the issues as it announced there has been a significant increase in attendances at local hospitals between the beginning of December and the end of January.

This was in part, it said, as a result of increased attendances to Emergency Departments and subsequent admissions to hospitals of patients with influenza and other respiratory conditions.

A Trust Spokesperson said: “In recent weeks an increased incidence of vomiting and diarrhoea has been reported in healthcare facilities across the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. This has been caused by norovirus which is currently circulating the province. Several wards have been closed to new admissions in the Lagan Valley Hospital and Ulster Hospital, and a restriction on visiting in affected areas has been put in place. A number of hospital staff have also been affected by this bug.”

The spokesperson added that whilst the Trust regularly monitors the cleanliness of wards, patient equipment, antibiotic prescribing, hand hygiene compliance and initiates an ongoing programme of deep cleans in wards as part of its strategy to ensure a sustained reduction in Clostridium Difficile infection, it was “much more difficult to sustain improvement when there is a lot of infection in hospital.”

They continued: “Due to these factors, the Trust has experienced significant increases in bed pressures. This has resulted in some patients experiencing a delay in receiving a bed in a hospital ward. The Trust has been working with the Health & Social Care Board and the Public Health Agency to address these difficulties and is currently opening additional beds to deal with the high numbers of in-patient admissions.

“The Trust needs the support of patients/clients/carers and the public who may visit our hospitals. We would ask that individuals visiting patients in our facilities should avoid doing so if they have vomiting and diarrhoea, cold or flu symptoms.

“Members of the public who are attending our Accident and Emergency Departments should advise the staff on arrival if they have gastrointestinal symptoms. This is extremely important to ensure that any condition considered to be of an infectious nature is identified and managed promptly.”