§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) admissions, (b) operations and (c) other procedures were postponed at each of the hospitals in the province as a result of the April outbreak of gastroenteritis; and if he will make a statement. [169656]
§ Angela SmithThe information requested on admissions, operations and other procedures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
A total of 896 bed days at the Ulster hospital and 149 bed days at the Antrim hospital were lost as a result of the gastroenteritis during April. All elective surgery was cancelled at the Ulster hospital between 6 April and 26 April.
The impact of a gastroenteritis outbreak on services will depend on many factors including the level of the infection in the community, the proportion of affected staff, the clinical areas involved, the layout of hospital design, and the general pressures experienced by the trust.
1536WThe control measures being followed in the Ulster hospital are those recommended in national UK guidelines "Management of hospital outbreaks of gastroenteritis due to small round structures viruses". These include isolation of affected patients and exclusion from work of affected staff members, ward closure to new admissions, enhanced hygiene measures and domestic cleaning, restrictions on visitors, close monitoring of all wards and information and advice to staff, patients and visitors. The current outbreak of the virus is now showing signs of abating, wards are being reopened to patients and elective surgery is again being performed.