UPDATE - SIDCUP: Queen Mary's Hospital bans visitors after norovirus outbreak (From News Shopper)

UPDATE - SIDCUP: Queen Mary's Hospital bans visitors after norovirus outbreak

10:41am Tuesday 19th January 2010 in

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QUEEN Mary's Hospital Sidcup has now banned visitors from nearly half of its wards as it battles a serious viral outbreak.

South London Healthcare Trust had already closed the six wards to new patients to try and control the spread of the norovirus, also known as winter vomiting disease.

But following a meeting of its norovirus review panel last night, the trust decided to close all of the Sidcup hospital's medical wards to visitors for 72 hours.

The affected wards are Gillies, Mottingham, Ellingworth, Brook, Avery Hill and Chislehurst.

A hospital spokeswoman said: "Exceptions to this rule will obviously be made in the cases of acutely unwell patients and will be at the discretion of the nurse in charge or the medical team."

She added: "This was clearly a difficult decision for the panel, but is an indicator of the serious need to take further action.

"Services are under considerable strain from the knock-on effect of the outbreak. "Limiting visitors to the hospital is considered the next necessary measure to help minimise cases."