Hillingdon Hospital closes to emergency admissions amid coronavirus outbreak

8 July 2020, 12:06 | Updated: 8 July 2020, 12:07

Hillingdon Hospital has closed to emergency admissions due to a coronavirus outbreak.

The west London hospital, which is in Boris Johnson's constituency, has around 70 staff members isolating after the outbreak.

A spokesman for Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "An outbreak of Covid-19 was declared on Friday, July 3, 2020.

"As of Tuesday, July 7, 70 members of staff are now isolating, a number of whom have tested positive for Covid-19.

"As a result, the trust has taken the precautionary decision to close Hillingdon Hospital to emergency ambulances and emergency admissions.

"The trust is managing the outbreak in line with Public Health England guidance."

A Hillingdon Hospital spokesperson said: “A number of our staff have either tested positive for COVID-19 or are self-isolating and as a precaution, in line with arrangements we have in place to maintain safe and high quality care, the London Ambulance Service has been asked to take new patients to neighbouring hospitals to get the treatment they need.

"Any impact on patient care has been kept to an absolute minimum and there is no disruption to the care of our current patients.”

The hospital serves the Prime Minister's Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.

Mr Johnson sent a video message to staff at the hospital to mark International Nurses' Day in May.

He thanked them for their care when he was "idiotic enough to get a shard of coffee pot in my foot".