Sussex hospital trust introduces 'enhanced measures' amid 'spread of respiratory infections'

The University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex) – which runs hospitals in Chichester, Worthing, Haywards Heath and Brighton – has introduced ‘enhanced measures’ to deal with a ‘challenging winter period’.

This comes after a ‘critical incident’ – which has been stood down – at East Surrey Hospital to help control the spread of winter viruses such as flu and norovirus. The Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust had asked patients whose condition isn’t life-threatening to utilise other NHS services such as 111 online, your local pharmacy or GP, as well as nearby treatment centres.

A statement from UHSussex read: “We are introducing some enhanced measures to help minimise the spread of respiratory infections, including influenza, Covid-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) within our hospitals.

“We would like to ask you to support us with this by following the guidance below.

“Visitors with symptoms of a respiratory illness, such as a cough, fever, or sore throat are being asked not to attend the hospital.

“Surgical face masks can be made available for visitors, in wards and departments, who request to wear them while in the hospital.”

The trust is also encouraging patients with ‘confirmed or suspected’ respiratory tract infections to wear a surgical face masks – ‘as long as it is clinically safe for them to do so’.

“Masks are available for patients in wards and departments for those who are able to wear them,” the statement added.

"By following these recommendations, we can better protect our patients, staff, and visitors during this challenging winter period.”

A spokesperson for UHSussex told this newspaper that people will not be forced to wear a mask as it is ‘their choice’.

According to the BBC, the trust was treating 115 patients with flu, with new cases arriving, as of Monday morning (January 6).