BRITS have been warned to avoid hospital wards after a critical incident was declared.
The clinical director of urgent care in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent said an outbreak of highly-contagious vomiting bug gastroenteritis sparked the alert.
The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICS declared the incident for both sites, Dr Steve Fawcett said.
The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust told the Sun that “while we have a handful of beds closed with D&V it is not the main reason that an incident has been declared”.
He urged people to head to pharmacies where possible, stating that the NHS “is absolutely there to treat the ill” but the hospital needs “space” to provide care for the sick.
Fawcett told the BBC: “We’ve got infection in the hospital with things like gastroenteritis, which is closing down some of our bed capacity… and causing problems with flow of patients through the system – back into their own homes.”
Three wards continue to be affected with a “significant number of beds out of action” and the infection control team on stand-by for the all-clear.
The hospital usually faces additional pressure during the winter months, according to the clinical director.
Critical incidents usually only last a few of days, with the situation being reviewed on an hourly basis.
The hospital trust in Staffordshire has declared a critical incident five times already this year.
These were announced between January 30 and July 9.
At the time, hospital chiefs urged those people who need care to come forward in the usual way by using 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies.
They suggested 111 for “everything else”.
