Hospitals in East restrict and ban visitors as NHS battles winter illnesses 'quad-demic'
ITV News Anglia's Callum Fairhurst reports on the crisis facing our hospitals.
Hospitals across the East of England have imposed restrictions on visitors - with some wards even banning them completely - as the NHS battles a winter health crisis.
Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford has decided to close its doors to visitors to protect patients amid a surge in cases of flu and norovirus.
It has stopped visitors to the emergency department, acute medical unit and medical wards, except for patients receiving end-of-life care. The hospital said anyone who wanted to visit should check with wards or departments first as areas of the hospital could be closed at short notice.
Other hospitals in the region have urged visitors to wear face masks.
Aside from the rise in viruses, there is also growing concern over spell of cold weather on the way, with an amber cold-health alert issued for the East of England by the UK's health security agency.
The alert runs from Thursday to next Wednesday and warns of a "likely increase in demand for health services".
It also warns of a possible rise in deaths, particularly among the elderly or those with existing health conditions.
Bedford Hospital and the Luton and Dunstable Hospital said they were seeing "an exceptional level of demand on services".
Visiting on some wards is restricted to one healthy person at a time, and visitors are urged to wear masks.
Masks are also recommended at Ipswich and Colchester hospitals.
The NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, which runs both hospitals, said anyone who felt unwell should not visit.
Chief Executive Nick Hulme said: “It has been particularly difficult this week. I’ve been a chief exec for a long time, I’ve been in the health service for 40 years, I’ve never seen anything like it.
"It’s almost as though we’ve got to the bottom of our toolbox, so it does feel particularly stressful. Flu’s hit us really really hard this year, it’s hit us earlier than it normally has done.”
Some hospitals though said they were coping well with Milton Keynes saying it had the situation under control.
The East of England Ambulance Service is also under pressure, and has gone to the highest alert after receiving an unprecedented level of emergency calls.
NHS national medical director Prof Sir Stephen Powis said: “The winter flu season has not only hit the NHS early this year, but it is potentially on track to be one of the worst we have ever seen, as the ‘quad-demic’ continues to increase pressure across services."
The quad-demic encompasses four major winter illnesses: Covid-19, flu, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
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