Fresh virus outbreak shuts more hospital wards

FURTHER restrictions have been introduced to manage an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis - Norovirus – in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.
Four wards have now been closed to new admissions in an effort to combat the spread of the highly unpleasant infection.
The four are Coleridge, Eliot, Fielding, and Gould wards.
Last month, a similar Norovirus outbreak forced the closure of three wards, Eliot and Fielding, in the Duchess Building, and Ward Five in the old part of the hospital.
Norovirus exists in the community and although not usually serious, it is extremely infectious.
It is estimated that between 600,000 and one million people in the UK are affected each year.
Nursing homes, hospitals, and schools are particularly vulnerable to the virus, which can be spread by contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces or objects.
Musgrove has detailed and well-established procedures to manage such outbreaks to minimise the risk of cross-infection.
Musgrove spokesman Mark Wall said: “Management of the outbreak is led by a specialist infection control team and other senior staff with ongoing review of the situation.
“To help reduce the risk of further Norovirus being brought into the hospital, visitors are asked not to visit if they have had symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting or have been in contact with anybody who has in the past 48 hours.
“All visitors are asked to ensure that their hands are thoroughly cleaned before leaving a ward.
“If they are visiting a ward which has an outbreak of Norovirus, they should please not visit any other wards.
“If they are in any doubt about whether to visit or not, they should talk to the ward sister.”
Musgrove medical director Dr Cecil Blumgart said “We know visitors can make a real difference to patients, who look forward to seeing them.
“Unfortunately, we also know that without meaning to, visitors can bring bugs into the hospital which can cause harm to patients and once here are very difficult to control.
“There is also a small chance that visitors to affected wards may contract the virus and take it home.
“We are introducing these new measures to take a firmer grip on the Norovirus that we currently have in the hospital.
“People should not visit unless they really need to and if they do, must comply with these restrictions.”
Musgrove has more than 700 beds on 30 wards plus 15 operating theatres, and a fully-equipped diagnostic imaging department, and employs more than 4,000 staff.

Virus closes three wards to admissions at Musgrove Park

AN outbreak of Norovirus has forced Musgrove Park Hospital (pictured), in Taunton, to stop admitting new patients on three of its wards.
The restrictions were put in place to manage the outbreak of viral gastroenteritis on Eliot and Fielding wards, in the Duchess Building, and Ward Five in the old part of the hospital.
Hospital spokesman Mark Wall said: “Musgrove Park has detailed and well-established procedures to manage outbreaks such as these to minimise the risk of cross infection.
“Management of the outbreak is led by our specialist infection control team and other senior staff with ongoing review of the situation.”
Musgrove has more than 700 beds on 30 wards plus 15 operating theatres, and a fully-equipped diagnostic imaging department, and employs more than 4,000 staff.
To help reduce the risk of further infection being taken into the hospital, visitors were being asked not to visit if, in the previous 48 hours, they had symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting or had been in contact with anybody who had.
Visitors were also being asked to ensure their hands were thoroughly cleaned before leaving a ward.
Mr Wall said: “If you are in any doubt about whether to visit or not, please talk to the ward sister.
“If you are visiting a ward which has an outbreak of Norovirus, please do not visit any other wards.”
Norovirus exists in the community and although not usually serious, it is highly infectious.
It is estimated that between 600,000 and one million people in the UK are affected each year.
Nursing homes, hospitals, and schools are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks.
The virus can be spread by contact with an infected person or surfaces or objects contaminated with it.
Mr Wall said information about Musgrove’s Norovirus outbreak would be updated daily on the hospital trust website at http://www.tsft.nhs.uk/.

Hospital spending £230,000 on MRSA deep cleaning

AN extra £230,000 is being spent by Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, to carry out a deep clean of all its clinical areas in the next few months.
Sixteen specially-recruited and trained cleaning staff will be involved in the deep cleaning programme.
The hit team will clean patient and public areas, store rooms, kitchens, sluices, corridors, and stairwells.
They will also de-clutter wards, remove old equipment, and clean storage areas on wards.
Head of facilities Simon Rigby said: “This additional investment has been provided by NHS South West as part of a national scheme announced by Gordon Brown recently.
“Our performance on healthcare associated infections at Musgrove Park is already very good, with rates of MRSA and CDiff more than halving in the last 12 months, but this extra money will allow us to do even more.
“There will inevitably be some disruption, but we are doing all we can to minimise any inconvenience to patients by carrying out the deep clean bay by bay, and doing a lot of the work in the evenings.”

• Our photograph shows some members of the deep cleaning team (left to right) team leader Debbie Whiting, with Karl Hernan, Simon Blewett, Jamie Shirley, and Mark Farrow. Members of the team not available for the photocall were Alex Brown, Lou Walker, team leader Kevin Elliot, Anibal Da Silva, and Chris Farrand. Photo submitted.