§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of outbreaks of Norwalk-like viruses in NHS hospitals; [84146]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of hospital outbreaks of Norwalk-like viruses to the NHS. [84147]
§ Ms BlearsThe public health laboratory service (PHLS) has a voluntary reporting system for outbreaks of gastroenteritis, including those caused by norovirus, previously known as Norwalk-like virus. These data are known to be incomplete but in 2001, 80 hospital outbreaks1 were reported and to date in 2002 there have been 183 reports. We believe that this increase reflects both improved reporting and the fact that the usual decline in norovirus infections over the summer months did not occur this year. As part of a separate initiative, the PHLS has approached specialist laboratories and identified a further 275 outbreaks that had not been reported.
We do not have data on the costs to the NHS of outbreaks of gastroenteritis caused by norovirus.
1Outbreaks in England and Wales proven or suspected of being associated with norovirus.