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Winter vomiting outbreak closes two wards
by Alice McKeegan22/ 4/2008
AN OUTBREAK of winter vomiting forced two wards at Rochdale Infirmary to be closed.
The drastic measure was taken after a number of patients on the Marland and Stonehill wards were diagnosed as suffering from the norovirus.
The two units were shut for several days, but by Monday they were back in business.
Symptoms of the disease include vomiting and diarrhoea and health bosses acted quickly to prevent the bug spreading.
The Pennine Acute Trust said it ordered infection-prevention work in a bid to cut the number of MRSA and Clostridium Difficile cases.
Now visitors are being urged to wash their hands when entering wards and anyone suffering from vomiting is being asked to stay away for 48 hours until the symptoms have disappeared.
Rochdale councillors were told of the closures by Tom Wilders, the Trust’s director of strategic planning.
Mr Wilders said: "There are many things that Trusts need to do to get hospital-acquired infections under control. Our rates are coming down, but one case is too many."
Members of the council’s health committee expressed concern at the introduction of automated touch screen technology. The three-month pilot at Rochdale Infirmary requires patients to use the system to check in for their appointments. Councillors questioned whether the screens were cleaned regularly to prevent infections being spread.
Mr Wilders added: "When we talk about hygiene, you think about doctors and nurses, but there are lots of other visitors to the hospital. The issue is complex. Medical notes, for example, are handled by all sorts of people."
There were 49 cases of MRSA in the four hospitals run by the Pennine Acute Trust – the Infirmary as well as Fairfield, North Manchester and the Royal Oldham – between April and November last year.
A spokesman for Rochdale Infirmary said: "Two wards were closed to new admissions as a precaution after a small number of diarrhoea and vomiting cases were reported. Some of these were later confirmed as norovirus. Infection prevention measures have been taken and both wards have now reopened."
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24/04/2008 at 16:09