The trust which runs services at the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hopsital has confirmed staff are dealing with an outbreak of norovirus across both sites.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust today (January 8) confirmed some wards were affected by the common stomach bug.
However NUH declined to comment on which wards and how many staff and patients were affected because of how quickly it can change.
The trust is urging people to protect patients and staff from further infection by avoiding going into hospital if they are suffering with vomiting and diarrhoea and to not visit for at least 72 hours after the symptoms are gone or unless absolutely necessary.
Full information issued by the Trust regarding norovirus
The most common symptoms are nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Some people may also have a raised temperature, headaches and aching limbs.
Symptoms usually begin around 12 to 48 hours after becoming infected and usually will last for 12 to 60 hours.
Most people make a full recovery within one-to-two days, however some people (usually the very young or elderly) may become very dehydrated and require hospital treatment.
Norovirus spreads very easily in public places such as hospitals, nursing homes and schools.
You can catch it if small particles of vomit or poo from an infected person get into your mouth, such as through close contact with someone with norovirus, touching contaminated surfaces or objects or eating eating contaminated food.
A person with norovirus is most infectious from when their symptoms start until 48 hours after all their symptoms have passed although they may also be infectious for a short time before and after this.
You can get norovirus more than once because the virus is always changing, so your body is unable to build up long-term resistance to it.
Avoid coming into hospital if you are suffering with vomiting or diarrhoea. Please do not visit for at least 72 hours after your symptoms have gone.
If you are a patient, don’t be afraid to remind your nurse or doctor to wash their hands, remember to wash your hands and use alcohol gel and remind your visitors of this advice.
If you are a visitor, only visit the ward if it is absolutely necessary and you are well yourself – speak to the nurse if you are unsure, do not come into hospital if you are unwell and please wash hands and use the alcohol gel provided when you arrive on the ward and before you leave.
Purely as a precautionary measure, we ask relatives and friends only to visit affected wards if it is absolutely necessary.
This helps us to reduce the spread of the virus and minimise the risk to visitors who may become ill or take the virus back into the community – it also helps us to clear the infection from the ward as quickly as possible.
If you are worried about yourself or a family member please call your GP or NHS 111 – try to avoid going to your GP as norovirus can spread to others very easily.
