City wards closed to contain virus outbreak

Belfast City Hospital has had to close four wards today in order to contain a viral outbreak.

Up to 30 patients and an unknown number of staff have come down with a severe stomach illness.

The hospital trust have moved to reassure patients that the closure of two medical wards and two surgical wards would not interfere with operations. However, with waiting lists already strained the ward closures will clearly have an impact on the availability of beds.

Medical director Dr Ken Fullerton said that capacity in Belfast is limited and there are pressures throughout the year over and above this latest outbreak.

"We have asked patients who have been booked to come in to contact the wards just to confirm. We have made arrangements with patients who were due to be admitted to those wards and have urgent need to be admitted elsewhere in the hospital," he said.

"However, we have been in close contact with the department, with the local health board and with all of our neighbouring hospitals.

"They have been helping us out in this difficult situation and as a result of that our A&E department so far has been able to cope very well with the influx of emergency cases."

Victims of the illness, caused by the Small Round Structured Virus (SRSV), can suffer symptoms over several days.

(GMcG)