PRINCESS Royal University Hospital services have been shut down because of the continuing norovirus outbreak.
Inpatient admissions, planned surgery, accident and emergency services and the Urgent Care Centre are all affected.
And no visitors are allowed at the Farnborough hospital except in the cases of parents visiting children, partners accompanying expectant mothers and close relatives of critically ill patients.
Father-of-four Dan Stevens was visiting two of children at the PRUH this afternoon (Febraury 18).
The 30-year-old from Saltwood Close, Chelsfield, said: "It is probably for the best otherwise the virus could really spread out of control.
"If this is the only way to control it then I reckon the hospital has made the right decision."
He added: "I haven't been affected and can still visit my children."
Outpatient services are all running normally and urgent surgical operations are taking place.
Anyone needing emergency care can go to A&E departments in Bexley, Greenwich, Dartford and Lewisham.
Virginia Marchese, 49, arrived at A&E today with her 13-year-old daughter, who was suffering from burns to her hand.
She was angry the pair had travelled all the way from Beckenham only to get turned away and told to go to Lewisham Hospital instead.
She said: "It's the right decision to close A&E if there is an outbreak but I didn't know anything about it until I arrived at the hospital.
"It's wrong to just turn us away to other hospitals.
"It would have been sensible to set up another area of the hospital to deal with A&E patients."
The decision to shut services at the PRUH was made by the South London Healthcare NHS Trust’s norovirus outbreak control group.
Its decision comes two days after the hospital was closed to visitors and three days after 11 of the wards were shut.
Trust chairman George Jenkins said: “Our staff are doing everything necessary to curb the outbreak and protect patients, staff and the public.
“We believe the action to close services for a short period will help speed up the process of getting the hospital back to normal working.”
A statement issued by Bromley NHS, the primary care trust which commissions all local health services, says: “The closure is enabling the movement of a significant number of patients within the hospital to different wards so that deep cleaning can take place in the fastest and most efficient way possible.
“The aim of these measures is to help stop any further spread and ensure that the maximum number of beds are back in use by the weekend.”
Dr Angela Bhan, joint director of public health for Bromley and a member of the NHS Bromley board, confirmed NHS community health services and Bromley GPs were aware of the situation and geared up to manage patients at home.
Anyone with severe or persistent diarrhoea and vomiting should call their GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
For updates on the situation visit slh.nhs.uk
How have you been affected by the outbreak? Call the News Shopper on 01689 885732
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