Hospital closes ward after norovirus outbreak

People are being warned they may end up with a winter bug if they attend the accident and emergency department (A&E) at King's Mill Hospital

A hospital ward in Nottinghamshire has been shut after nine patients contracted norovirus.

The ward at King's Mill Hospital closed on Wednesday after the patients picked up the contagious disease, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said demand for services had "significantly increased this week" and the outbreak had made the situation "even more complex and challenging".

People have been urged to stay away from the emergency department, unless they have a serious or life-threatening condition.

On Tuesday night, the hospital trust said the emergency department was experiencing "severe overcrowding" with "almost twice as many patients" as it was designed for.

Chief nurse Phil Bolton said: "While winter is always one of the busiest times of year for our hospitals, the pressures we have seen this week and not usually seen until much later in winter, which is a real concern."

The early arrival of winter pressures has seen patients face "extraordinarily long delays while waiting to access emergency care", the trust said, with 24 patients having been in the emergency department for more than 12 hours.

The hospital asked visitors to consider if their condition is an emergency before attending.

People have instead been advised to use the NHS's 111 service, speak to a pharmacist, or contact their GP practice during opening hours.