Somerset hospital stops accepting patients because of 'high number' of Covid-19 cases
25 May 2020, 10:26
A hospital in Somerset has temporarily stopped accepting new patients due to a "high number of patients with coronavirus in the hospital".
Weston General Hospital, in Weston-super-Mare, stopped accepting new admissions, including into its A&E department, from 8am on Monday.
The move is said to be a "precautionary measure".
Dr William Oldfield, medical director at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As with any hospital, the number of patients with COVID-19 will frequently change as people are admitted and discharged.
“We currently have a high number of patients with COVID-19 in Weston General Hospital. Whilst the vast majority will have come into the hospital with COVID-19, as an extra precaution we have taken the proactive step to temporarily stop accepting new patients to maintain patient and staff safety.
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“This is a clinically-led decision and we are being supported by our system partners to ensure that new patients receive the care and treatment they need in the appropriate setting, and we are continuing to provide high quality care to existing patients who are being treated in the hospital.
“We have a robust Coronavirus testing programme in place for patients and staff to identify cases quickly, with appropriate measures taken by clinical teams as required.“We will keep the situation under constant review.”
The hospital advised anyone in need of urgent care to visit the minor injuries units in Clevedon and Yate, and Urgent Treatment Centre in South Bristol offer fast, walk-in treatment for minor injuries such as cuts, sprains and broken bones. They are open from 8am to 8pm each day.
