A WARD at York Hospital closed for almost a week as a serious flu outbreak struck the city.

Ward 39, which has 24 beds, closed to new admissions on January 9 to allow staff to carry out a deep clean and effectively quarantine patients.

A spokeswoman for York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said “the majority” of beds on the ward were occupied throughout the flu outbreak, “as the patients are mainly all long stay patients”.

The spokeswoman, speaking yesterday, said: “Ward 39 at York Hospital, with the exception of one bay, will reopen later today following closure to new admissions last week due to influenza.”

Patients had reported seeing ambulance staff arriving at the hospital’s A&E department wearing face masks, presumably as a precaution to avoid further spread of the flu.

However, the spokeswoman said this had not been requested by the hospital, and a spokeswoman for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service said the reports could have been due to individual patients with infections, and the masks were not required at all times.

She said: “It is standard practice for our staff to wear face masks when treating patients with any known or suspected respiratory infections.”

As reported in The Press on Monday, many York pharmacists have run out of flu vaccinations, and figures released by Public Health England said York had the highest rate of the illness in England.

The current mix of flu types - including so-called Australian flu - particularly affect older and vulnerable age groups, meaning many of those in hospital could be at risk of infection.

The spokeswoman for York Hospital said while the outbreak had been contained and Ward 39 was expected to be reopen, anyone considering visiting the hospital should think carefully before doing so, as anyone with flu-like symptoms could cause a fresh outbreak and lead to further ward closures.

She said: “Since the virus is highly infectious and outbreaks can happen quickly, visitors who have coughs and colds, which could be flu, are asked not to visit friends and relatives until they are better.

“Influenza, commonly known as flu, is a viral illness that is especially common in winter and is spread by coughing and sneezing.

“This winter we are seeing a high number of flu cases across the hospital. When we experience an outbreak, our staff have clear processes to follow in order to contain the spread of the virus, which includes closing areas to minimise the risk and spread of infection.”