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Eight hospital wards shut as almost 150 hit by virus
11:03am Wednesday 30th April 2008
WARDS have been closed to new patients and operations cancelled as York Hospital battles its worst-ever outbreak of a dreaded winter sickness bug.
Health bosses have been forced into overdrive in an attempt to combat the highly-contagious norovirus, which has already gripped the hospital for more than a month longer than usual.
In the last two weeks, 88 patients and six visitors at the hospital have been diagnosed with norovirus-type symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea, while 37 staff have had to be sent home for safety reasons after showing signs of infection.
Eight wards were fully or partially closed to new admissions yesterday, with the hospital's alert status veering between red and amber, and managers say resources have come under severe pressure in the last fortnight.
Friends and relatives of patients in the affected wards are being asked to make only essential visits and keep children away from the hospital, while those with appointments scheduled who develop norovirus symptoms are being urged to get in touch in advance.
Libby McManus, the hospital's director of nursing and improvement, said: "Our first confirmed cases were at the beginning of December, which is fairly typical, and normally we would expect it to finish in March.
"But patients and staff are still showing symptoms at least a month later than we usually anticipate, and we don't know why.
"Eight wards are completely or partially closed, because if even one patient on a ward has norovirus-type symptoms, we don't allow anybody else on to the ward.
"Some wards might be full, but others have empty spaces, meaning we've had to seek extra beds elsewhere. More than 50 staff have been affected since the outbreak started and you can imagine what this means in terms of managing the hospital, as they must be sent home and we have to source staff from other areas. Workers on affected wards must also be contained within those areas and cannot work on others.
"The symptoms can last a couple of days, but a patient can still be affected for up to 48 hours longer. We cannot discharge patients until after that, so they might be in hospital longer than planned.
"Some have also had surgery cancelled for safety reasons - which is not something we do lightly - creating a backlog. It's awful for patients to wait and then be told their operations cannot go ahead, but they have been very helpful and understanding."
Although hospital microbiologists anticipate the outbreak ending soon, Ms McManus says the hospital will remain under strain until that happens.
"It's really unusual for it to go on this long. It's much worse than in previous years," she said.
"It can impact on the number of beds available throughout the hospital, including accident and emergency, and it puts pressure on the whole system.
"The last two weeks have been very difficult to manage."
Advice to patients
YORK Hospital has issued advice to patients and visitors to help tackle its prolonged norovirus outbreak "It's important that we try and stop the illness spreading around the hospital now and we're asking for people's help to protect themselves, patients and healthcare workers," said Libby McManus, the hospital's director of nursing.
"People should not visit anybody in closed wards unless it's absolutely essential and should discuss their visit with ward staff in advance. We would also like people not to bring children in to visit, as they can pass the virus on more easily and might be less scrupulous about hand hygiene.
"Anybody due to come into the hospital for an outpatient or inpatient appointment who has norovirus-type symptoms should contact the hospital beforehand. All visitors must wash their hands or use the alcohol gel in dispensers at the main entrance and entrances to ward areas when entering or leaving wards.
"We try to isolate the virus by putting patients into side rooms as much as possible, increase cleaning in clinical areas, carry out special deep-cleaning and regularly change curtains. We have also sent a message to GPs highlighting the areas which have been affected and asking them to consider that when admitting people to hospital.
"It's not just a hospital-acquired infection, but hospitals can be more vulnerable to it than other places."
Dr Peter Brambleby, North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust's director of public health, said: "This is a necessary step to break the cycle of infection. The outbreak of winter vomiting disease has been particularly severe this year. Vulnerable people need protection and the public's co-operation is going to be needed."
What is the norovirus?
Noroviruses, also known as winter vomiting bugs or Norwalk-like viruses, are the UK's most common cause of stomach bugs and affect all ages. It is estimated between 600,000 and one million people in the country become infected each year.
It is easily transmitted from one person to another by contact with an infected person, through food and drink, or by touching contaminated surfaces or objects. It also spreads easily when people share a room, such as in hospitals, schools and hotels.
Between 12 and 48 hours after a person is infected by the virus, it causes nausea followed by diarrhoea and vomiting. Some sufferers may have a fever, headaches and aching limbs.
The illness is not generally dangerous and most people recover within two days, although they should be isolated for 48 hours after symptoms end. Old and very young sufferers may require hospital treatment for dehydration.
There is no treatment, but sufferers should drink lots of water to prevent dehydration and try to prevent the virus spreading.
Anybody with symptoms should contact their GP or phone NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
Your Say YourPress
Bemused, York says...
10:40am Thu 1 May 08
Wyat Next seems to live in the real world,unlike you matey,if our health service is that great why do so many of our people incur great expense by going abroad for treatment,they do it because they are scared to death by the poor state of our hospitals,I deliver to hospitals and speak to real people and they agree that the current state of affairs is a total disgrace,your views are also a total disgrace,come on down off your high horse and listen to the tv and read the newspapers,they can't all be wrong.
The only reports to be taken notice of in respect of our wonderful NHS are New Labour lies and spin, according to redr and spunkies and other posters.
tom the trucker, malton says...
10:26am Thu 1 May 08
Spunkies wrote:Wyat Next seems to live in the real world,unlike you matey,if our health service is that great why do so many of our people incur great expense by going abroad for treatment,they do it because they are scared to death by the poor state of our hospitals,I deliver to hospitals and speak to real people and they agree that the current state of affairs is a total disgrace,your views are also a total disgrace,come on down off your high horse and listen to the tv and read the newspapers,they can't all be wrong.
Silversurfer - congratulations darling you managed to quote something and then fail to make a point. Definitely enhanced my life that did.Brown promised a deep clean of all hospitals, and it hasn't happened. It was load of lies.Erm, it did happen. You can't deny this. The question which you should be asking is how effective was it?The state of hospitals is a total disgrace to a so called civilised countryOk 'wyat next', you wil the stupid comment of the week award. Britain has one of the most developed and respected health services in the Western World. Very few other places can you receive such a high quality of care provided by the state. It is exactly your kind of anal scaremongering which is exacerbated by rags like the Press which instil these ridiculous misconceptions in the ignorant majority. Just think before you chat this rubbish and consider just how you are in such a priviledge position to claim such a thing.
CHRIS YORK BORN&BRED, YORK says...
9:15am Thu 1 May 08
dodgydave, york says...
5:47am Thu 1 May 08
or
Lab Bin My Scum!
or
Nil My Scab Bum!
even worse
Blab **** in my!
Redr, york says...
11:54pm Wed 30 Apr 08
campaigners say
More unsubstantiated BS. Did you believe everything campaigners said whilst you were a police officer? Your court appearances must have been like Morecambe and Wise!
Bemused, York says...
11:14pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Civitas - Volume 5 Issue 1 Feb 2008
Why the NHS is the sick man of Europe?
BBC News
NHS performance 'kills thousands'
More than 17,000 deaths a year in the UK are unnecessary and due to poor NHS performance, campaigners say.
The TaxPayers' Alliance compared World Health Organization data for five leading European countries.
It's only the government that thinks the NHS isn't one of the worst health services in the developed world, and they would think that wouldn't they?
Spunkies, The Mighty Nose says...
10:21pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Bemused, York says...
9:49pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Redr, york says...
9:22pm Wed 30 Apr 08
I prefer figures from independent sources, such as this one, and from journalists who know how to look under stones -
No Bemused you prefer figures coming from any unsubstantiated source as long as they agree with your pet hates of The Police, New Labour and the NHS. Only a suggestion but talking therapy is very good for anger management so I hear.
Tossers,all of them!, Everywhere you look! says...
8:30pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Actually it wasn't a load of lies, the hospital that I work in had its deep clean the last week in March!!
The above comment probably means that the staff were ordered to empty their lockers in order to see what they'd pinched.
Bemused, York says...
8:22pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Anything coming from the direction of New Labour I dismiss as lies and spin, and having as much substance as WMDs in Iraq.
I prefer figures from independent sources, such as this one, and from journalists who know how to look under stones -
The poll of all EU member states plus Switzerland and Norway ranks Britain 17th out of 29 countries for patient satisfaction.
Its rating was dragged down by waiting lists, MRSA infection rates, access to cancer drugs and dentists as well as cancer survival rates.
The survey will be hugely embarrassing to Gordon Brown, who has made the NHS and education his top two priorities.
The Euro Health Consumer Index, which has been compiled for the past three years by the Health Consumer Powerhouse, a Swedish think-tank, is the only survey that compares European health care systems from a consumer point of view....
Redr, york says...
7:17pm Wed 30 Apr 08
All specialities
No of patients waiting admission 761,176
Addmitted between 0-13 weeks
579,717
Addmitted between 14-26 weeks
181,321
26 weeks plus
138
Thats 138 people waiting for more than six months in the whole of England.
In 1997 the figure was over 100,000
Bemused, York says...
4:21pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Posted by: Redr, york on 3:47pm today
It never fails to amaze me Bemused if you can find a set of figures that agree with your rant, you cut-n-paste. If they conflict with your rant you dismiss them as lies and spin with no evidence whatsover.
It never fails to amaze me Bemused if you can find a set of figures that agree with your rant, you cut-n-paste. If they conflict with your rant you dismiss them as lies and spin with no evidence whatsover.
Awkward isn't it, of the above I reckon the Lancet is the most authoritative source.
Anything coming from the direction of New Labour I dismiss as lies and spin, and having as much substance as WMDs in Iraq.
Spunkies, The Mighty Nose says...
4:13pm Wed 30 Apr 08
If you are ill, the best thing you can do is stay away from hospitals.
Filthy places.
Agreed!
I can just see the Consultant being desolate and beating themselves with a stick given the news that nobody wants to come to hospital any more! Just do everyone a faovur and if do not book an appt only to not attend without giving notice. This is a major source of wasted time, appointments that could be used by those who really need and appreciate the outstanding levels of care.
Papa Lazarou, Walmgate says...
4:03pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Hospital outbreaks are caused by people. Failing to wash hands at appropriate times, and clean items (like blood pressure monitors) appropriately between patients is what drives these outbreaks.
Obvious surfaces are often missed, for example, alcohol hand rubs next to lift buttons, on the way into, and way out of lavatories, and public telephones for example. At a london hospital I have even seen menus being passed from patient to patient on an open plan ward with patients who had MRSA and pneumonia and those recovering from major heart and lung surgery - the activities of the tea lady had seemingly been neglected in the infection control policies!
Providing patients with a bowl of soap and water to wash their hands (and someone to show them how to do this properly) before each meal and when they use commodes is also crucial but often forgotten.
If you are ill, the best thing you can do is stay away from hospitals.
Filthy places.
Agreed!
Miss Amelia Rate, YORk says...
4:01pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Lamplighter wrote:Absolutely right they should and will big signs above them, but when I worked there I saw people come to visit and one would use it and the other clearly "couldn't be bothered". I also saw nurses go to the toilet and not bother to wash their hands.
Miss Amelia Rate wrote:Amelia, I agree that people should use the dispensers outside wards, but I think they should be placed in a prominent position. I recently visited someone in hospital and gave my hands a good scrub before I went. When I got to the ward however, I didn't see any hand cleanser, so consequently I didn't think about it until now. Perhaps the dispensers should be sign posted so that they are harder to miss?Bemused wrote: What happened with Brown's promised deep clean then? Not implemented in York? Or just more New Labour spin and lies.I don't see how you can blame the government for this. Surely it is up to each hospital to get its act together and ensure that the premises are kept clean? It doesn't help when patients and visitors, never mind staff, don't wash their hands or that the dispensers outside wards are not kept full for people to use.
Redr, york says...
3:47pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Lamplighter, says...
3:46pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Miss Amelia Rate wrote:Amelia, I agree that people should use the dispensers outside wards, but I think they should be placed in a prominent position. I recently visited someone in hospital and gave my hands a good scrub before I went. When I got to the ward however, I didn't see any hand cleanser, so consequently I didn't think about it until now. Perhaps the dispensers should be sign posted so that they are harder to miss?
Bemused wrote: What happened with Brown's promised deep clean then? Not implemented in York? Or just more New Labour spin and lies.I don't see how you can blame the government for this. Surely it is up to each hospital to get its act together and ensure that the premises are kept clean? It doesn't help when patients and visitors, never mind staff, don't wash their hands or that the dispensers outside wards are not kept full for people to use.
Spunkies, The Mighty Nose says...
3:33pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Rob Marley wrote:Yeah definitely. You will be guarenteed to get better that way.
Spunkies wrote:If you are ill, the best thing you can do is stay away from hospitals. Filthy places.SilverSurfer wrote: I had reason to be seeing a consultant there over a 10-year period. I was so brassed off with the service I received in June last year that I've stopped attending!I wonder who will come off worst from that. By the way, I completely agree with LastWord. That is certainly a problem.
Cor, I wonder why nobody else has ever thought of that as a solution to Britain's health problems.
Rob Marley, Haxby says...
3:30pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Spunkies wrote:If you are ill, the best thing you can do is stay away from hospitals.
SilverSurfer wrote: I had reason to be seeing a consultant there over a 10-year period. I was so brassed off with the service I received in June last year that I've stopped attending!I wonder who will come off worst from that. By the way, I completely agree with LastWord. That is certainly a problem.
Filthy places.
Spunkies, The Mighty Nose says...
3:29pm Wed 30 Apr 08
SilverSurfer wrote:I wonder who will come off worst from that.
I had reason to be seeing a consultant there over a 10-year period. I was so brassed off with the service I received in June last year that I've stopped attending!
By the way, I completely agree with LastWord. That is certainly a problem.
SilverSurfer, Surfing says...
3:24pm Wed 30 Apr 08
lastword morris, Haxby Rd says...
3:23pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Spunkies, The Mighty Nose says...
3:19pm Wed 30 Apr 08
SilverSurfer, Surfing says...
3:15pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Spunkies, The Mighty Nose says...
3:05pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Or do you prefer to believe New Labour lies and fiddled statistics?
what, as an option to the YEP's inept journalist's lies and fiddled statistics? Hmmm, have to think about that one.
Bemused, York says...
2:46pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Britain has one of the most developed and respected health services in the Western World.
Oh yes, rofl -
NHS is 17th in Europe-wide poll of patients
Last Updated: 1:34AM BST 04/10/2007
Britain's health system is among the worst in Europe, according to a survey.
The poll of all EU member states plus Switzerland and Norway ranks Britain 17th out of 29 countries for patient satisfaction.
Its rating was dragged down by waiting lists, MRSA infection rates, access to cancer drugs and dentists as well as cancer survival rates.
The survey will be hugely embarrassing to Gordon Brown, who has made the NHS and education his top two priorities.
The Euro Health Consumer Index, which has been compiled for the past three years by the Health Consumer Powerhouse, a Swedish think-tank, is the only survey that compares European health care systems from a consumer point of view....
....A recent study in The Lancet said survival rates in Britain were among the lowest in Europe.
Survival rates are based on the number of patients who are alive five years after diagnosis and researchers found that, for women, England was the fifth worst in a league of 22 countries. Scotland came bottom. Cancer experts blamed late diagnosis and long waiting lists.
A second Lancet article, which looked at 2.7 million patients diagnosed between 1995 and 1999, found that countries which spent the most on health per capita a year had better survival rates.
Britain was the exception. Despite spending up to £1,500 on health per person per year, it recorded similar survival rates for Hodgkin's disease and lung cancer as Poland, which spends a third of that amount.
Or do you prefer to believe New Labour lies and fiddled statistics?
lastword morris, Haxby Rd says...
2:43pm Wed 30 Apr 08
You have to have enough time to do the cleaning properly, enough equipment and people who are willing to do a few hours work for a poor wage. Recently my mother was admitted twice for minor ailments and (for something to do during the long hours of waiting)I started to count the number of nurses, doctors, visitors etc who washed their hands or used the hygi spray. The number was NONE...
Spunkies, The Mighty Nose says...
2:35pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Spunkies, The Mighty Nose says...
2:33pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Brown promised a deep clean of all hospitals, and it hasn't happened. It was load of lies.Erm, it did happen. You can't deny this. The question which you should be asking is how effective was it?
The state of hospitals is a total disgrace to a so called civilised country
Ok 'wyat next', you wil the stupid comment of the week award. Britain has one of the most developed and respected health services in the Western World. Very few other places can you receive such a high quality of care provided by the state. It is exactly your kind of anal scaremongering which is exacerbated by rags like the Press which instil these ridiculous misconceptions in the ignorant majority. Just think before you chat this rubbish and consider just how you are in such a priviledge position to claim such a thing.
Bemused, York says...
2:30pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Keep people on the waiting list until they die at home. New Labour has many faults, but in comparison to the tories NHS funding isn't one of them.
Oh yes -
Hospital waiting times up despite extra spending
Last updated: 1:40 AM GMT 06/03/2008
Hospital patients are waiting on average longer for treatment than when Labour came to power, it emerged yesterday.
Average waiting times for inpatients were 41 days in 1997 but by last year reached 49 days, according to NHS figures.
Hospital waiting times woe
14/ 3/2008
PATIENTS in nine out of 10 Greater Manchester districts are waiting longer for hospital treatment now than when Labour came to power 10 years ago.
The new figures obtained by the M.E.N. show the average wait for treatment ranged from 42 days in Bolton and 52 in Tameside now compared to 21 in Central Manchester and 42 in North Manchester in 1997.
Health - Doubts raised over hospital waiting lists
A claim that patients were dropped from a hospital waiting list in order to meet government targets is to be the subject of an investigation.
A hospital manager has been suspended at King George Hospital, Redbridge, East London, following allegations that 84 patients waiting for orthopaedic surgery were "inappropriately suspended" from the waiting list.
The patients ended up waiting more than the 18 months which the government has ruled should be the absolute maximum for any patient. Thirty-three of the patients are still waiting for treatment.
And in amongst the fiddled figures, NHS dentists are almost extinct, we have the worst cancer survival rates in the developed world, and patients are being refused life saving drugs available all over Europe.
OldFart, York says...
1:31pm Wed 30 Apr 08
handwashing is imperial
As opposed to metric presumably?
And do staff still wear uniforms to/from work?
Redr, york says...
12:48pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Bemused wrote:The tories had a much better approach during their eighteen years in power
What happened with Brown's promised deep clean then? Not implemented in York? Or just more New Labour spin and lies.
Keep people on the waiting list until they die at home. New Labour has many faults, but in comparison to the tories NHS funding isn't one of them.
wyat next, york says...
12:03pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Sharon, York says...
11:59am Wed 30 Apr 08
Bemused wrote:
I don't see how you can blame the government for this.Brown promised a deep clean of all hospitals, and it hasn't happened. It was load of lies.
Actually it wasn't a load of lies, the hospital that I work in had its deep clean the last week in March!!
SilverSurfer, Surfing says...
11:44am Wed 30 Apr 08
A DEDICATED team trained to carry out in-depth cleaning has started work at York Hospital in a bid to stop the spread of superbugs.Extract taken from The Press: http://www.yorkpress
The £600,000 operation is expected to take two months and is part of the Government's deep-cleaning strategy.
All 30 wards at the Wigginton Road site will be targeted in the project, together with specialist departments and public areas.
.co.uk/search/displa
y.var.2019545.0.deep
_clean_gets_under_wa
y_at_city_hospital.p
hp
Nurse H, york says...
11:36am Wed 30 Apr 08
Miss Amelia Rate wrote:I totally agree with the last comment, handwashing is imperial,but not only with the alcohol gels provided, it's about going back to the basics. Soap and water, lets see everyone go back to the basics to add in the prevention of viruses.
Bemused wrote: What happened with Brown's promised deep clean then? Not implemented in York? Or just more New Labour spin and lies.I don't see how you can blame the government for this. Surely it is up to each hospital to get its act together and ensure that the premises are kept clean? It doesn't help when patients and visitors, never mind staff, don't wash their hands or that the dispensers outside wards are not kept full for people to use.
Bemused, York says...
11:32am Wed 30 Apr 08
I don't see how you can blame the government for this.
Brown promised a deep clean of all hospitals, and it hasn't happened. It was load of lies.
petethefeet, York says...
11:30am Wed 30 Apr 08
Miss Amelia Rate, YORK says...
11:27am Wed 30 Apr 08
Bemused wrote:I don't see how you can blame the government for this. Surely it is up to each hospital to get its act together and ensure that the premises are kept clean? It doesn't help when patients and visitors, never mind staff, don't wash their hands or that the dispensers outside wards are not kept full for people to use.
What happened with Brown's promised deep clean then? Not implemented in York? Or just more New Labour spin and lies.
Bemused, York says...
11:18am Wed 30 Apr 08
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11:25am Wed 7 May 08
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