Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust have declared a Critical Incident due to the continued high levels of Norovirus across East Surrey Hospital and the significant levels of sustained demand on emergency care services.

The current situation has been exacerbated in recent days by a rise in staff sickness and challenges discharging patients and moving patients around the site in line with increased infection control measures.

Members of the public can help the Trust ensure care is available for those with the most urgent and serious care needs by seeking help from the most appropriate health services for their health condition:

• People should continue to use pharmacies, GP practices, walk-in centres, the NHS App and NHS 111 online or by phone 24/7 for urgent health advice
• People should only use 999 and ED for serious or life-threatening conditions or medical emergencies (when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk).
• Unfortunately, we may need to reschedule some non-urgent appointments to accommodate those patients with the most urgent clinical need. People should however continue to attend appointments unless they are contacted by the Trust to reschedule. Cancer and our other most urgent operations will continue to be prioritised.
• If you have a loved one who is ready to be discharged from hospital we would be very grateful for your support in enabling that discharge as quickly and safely as possible.

In addition, the Trust has put in place temporary visiting restrictions to all its wards at East Surrey Hospital until further notice, with the exception of patients on end of life care, in maternity and paediatric wards, and in ED. This will help to reduce the risk of further spread and support the safe care of its patient.

Anyone coming to the site must follow additional infection control measures to help reduce the spread of Norovirus – including practicing good hand-hygiene, reducing their movement around the site, and wearing masks affected in clinical areas.  You can find out more here.

Dr Ed Cetti, Chief Medical Officer for Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said:

“In response to the continued high levels of Norovirus across our hospital, sustained demand in our Emergency Department, and the challenges we are facing moving patients around the site in line with necessary infection control measures, the Trust has declared a Critical Incident.

“Temporary visiting restrictions to all our wards at East Surrey Hospital therefore remain in place until further notice, with the exception of patients on end of life care, in our maternity and paediatric wards, and in ED. This will help to reduce the risk of further spread and support patient safety.

“In line with our strengthened infection prevention measures, we continue to ask members of the public not to come to the hospital if they have had diarrhoea or vomiting in the last 48 hours.

“We know how important visiting is and we are keeping these measures under close review and will lift them as soon as we are able to. More information on visiting and local urgent care options is available on our website.”