12 Jan 2012
The Welsh public have been urged to ensure they are careful with their hand hygiene following an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug in a number of hospitals.
And new patients were prevented from using wards in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan hospital last week because of a norovirus outbreak.
Ruth Walker, director of nursing at the University Health Board said that “appropriate measures” were being taken by the board so as to limit the viral gastroenteritis affects.
As the situation was volatile, the board refrained from confirming details of the affected wards.
Other north Wales hospitals have had a similar outbreak.
Ms Walker confirmed the board was seeing cases of viral gastroenteritis, which was also common for health boards in Wales during this time of year and that the board are “taking appropriate measures to limit its effects”.
“This has included closing some wards to new admissions and restricting visiting times in some areas,” she said.
“We do have very good infection control procedures in place and these are helping to manage the situation.
“However, we would ask the public to play their part and heed the advice from Public Health Wales on good hand hygiene and that anyone with symptoms should stay at home while they are unwell and for 48 hours afterwards to avoid spreading illness to other people.”
Numerous hospitals in north Wales have already put restrictions on new patients and visitors because of similar outbreaks.
Copyright Press Association 2012