Ward visiting returning to normal after norovirus

The hospital's chief medical officer previously said patient safety was the "top priority"

A Surrey hospital which asked people not to attend due to norovirus cases says visiting is returning to normal after two weeks.

On 19 March, East Surrey Hospital asked people not to attend unless they had an urgent clinical need in order to control the spread of norovirus and keep patients safe.

Visitors to seven wards were also restricted, but on Wednesday this was reduced to just three wards.

Norovirus is the most common cause of infectious diarrhoea and vomiting in England and Wales, according to the NHS.

It can be transmitted by contact with contaminated surfaces and objects, and people usually recover fully within two to three days.

Ed Cetti, chief medical officer for Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said at the time that patient safety was the "top priority" and that the decision to restrict ward visitors had not been taken lightly.

Temporary visiting restrictions remain in place for the wards affected by norovirus, which are the acute medical unit, Holmwood, and the inpatient rehabilitation unit.

The hospital said: "In all other areas, visiting is no longer limited to one visitor per day.

"If you have had diarrhoea or vomiting, you should not come to the hospital until you have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours."