BRITS have been warned to avoid hospital wards after a critical incident has been declared.
The clinical director of urgent care in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has confirmed the cause as a gastroenteritis outbreak.
Dr Steve Fawcett, clinical director of urgent care for the area explained how certain parts of the hospital were under "severe pressure" after declaring the incident on Tuesday.
He urged people to head to pharmacies where possible, stating that the NHS "is absolutely there to treat the ill" but the hospital needs "space" to provide care for the sick.
Fawcett continued: “We’ve got infection in the hospital with things like gastroenteritis, which is closing down some of our bed capacity... and causing problems with flow of patients through the system - back into their own homes.”
It is believed three wards continue to be affected with a "significant number of beds out of action" and the infection control team waiting for the all-clear.
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According to the clinical director, the hospital usually faces additional pressure during the winter months but they have seen a recent surge.
Critical incidents usually only last a number of days with the situation being reviewed on an hourly basis.
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