‘Stay away from hospitals’ health chiefs warn as cases of horror D&V bug remain ‘stubbornly high’

BRITS have been urged to stay away from hospitals as wards remain riddled with cases of a winter bug that causes violent bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea.

Norovirus, known as the ‘wintervomiting bug', is more prevalent during the colder winter months when people are staying indoors, which helps the bug spread.

But this year's wave has stayed “stubbornly high” well into spring, health chiefs say, with new data revealing levels of the virus in hospitals inEnglandare 62 per cent higher than the same period last year.

New figures published by theNHStoday also show 903patients a day were in hospital with norovirus last week (March 23), up from 899the previous week.

And levels in hospitals are the highest they’ve ever been at the start of Spring, according to data – well above the equivalent total at this stage in 2024 (556) and 2023 (557).

Norovirus can be very unpleasant, but it usually clears up within two days. Most people can recover at home with rest and plenty of fluids

However, severe dehydration from constant vomiting and diarrhoea can land people in hospital – especially the very young, elderly, or those with a weakened immune system.

The virus is highly contagious, making outbreaks common in semi-closed environments like hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and nurseries

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England national medical director, said: “While the worst of winter is no doubt over for NHS staff, virus rates in our hospitals remain stubbornly high and we are still feeling the pressure – the green shoots of spring for the NHS aren't showing just yet.

“Hospitals continue to run at near capacity, while the added pressure from almost one in seven beds taken up by patients who don’t need to be in hospital hasn’t relented for 12 weeks and counting.

“It’s vital that the public continue to use 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies and use NHS 111 – and 111 online – if you need advice and support for other conditions”;

The latest NHS figures also show an average of 13,388 hospital beds per day were filled last week in England with patients who were fit to be discharged.

This is down from 13,643 the previous week.

The number peaked this winter at 14,087 in early February.

Meanwhile, 27.3 per cent of patients arriving by ambulance at hospitals last week waited at least 30 minutes to be handed over to A&E teams.

This is broadly unchanged from 27.4 per cent the previous week and is well below the winter peak of 42.2 per cent at the start of January.

Some 8.9 per cent of ambulance handovers last week were delayed by more than an hour – again, broadly unchanged week-on-week (9.0 per cent) and some way below the winter peak (21.3 per cent).