Overview
- Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust declared a critical incident on Monday at the 744-bed East Surrey Hospital after continued Norovirus cases and sustained pressure in its emergency department.
- Visiting is paused on all wards until further notice, with exceptions for end-of-life patients, maternity, paediatrics and the emergency department.
- To cut spread, the trust asks anyone with diarrhoea or vomiting in the past 48 hours to stay away and requires strict hand washing, limited movement inside the hospital and masks in clinical areas.
- For urgent needs that are not life-threatening, people should use pharmacies, GP practices, walk-in centres, the NHS App or NHS 111 and reserve A&E for emergencies.
- Some non-urgent appointments may be rescheduled to protect capacity, with cancer and other most urgent operations still prioritised, and families are asked to help enable prompt, safe discharge when patients are ready.