FOUR wards have been shut at Ashford’s William Harvey Hospital as staff work to contain a new outbreak of the winter vomiting bug.

The hospital is believed to be the first in the county to be affected by the bug this winter.

Last year, hundreds of patients and staff were incapacitated by the virulent vomiting and diarrhoea infection and several of the wards were closed for weeks.

So far, four wards have been affected. The hospital says its infection teams are working around the clock to contain the outbreak.

Medical experts say the bug is being brought in by members of the public who have caught the virus at home.

The wards affected include Canterbury K, Kings C1 and Brook but no operations have so far been cancelled and no patients have been turned away from pre-planned admissions.

Staff are asking doctors in Ashford not to refer patients to the hospital if they are showing symptoms of the sickness and are urging people not to visit if they have been poorly themselves.

Debbie Weston is the infection control advisor at the William Harvey. She said: "Fast action and co-operation between staff from the trust and cleaning compnay Medirest has ensured that the outbreak has been kept to a minimum.

"Norovirus is a common occurrence during the winter months and outbreaks are frequently seen within the community generally and also in nursing and residential homes.

"The problems seen in hospitals are as a consequence of problems with the virus in the community and arise when people come into hospital, either with the infection or incubating it on admission because they have been exposed to the virus."

Mrs Weston is asking patients who are coming for surgery or investigations to inform the appropriate ward or department if they have had diarrhoea and/or vomiting in the 48 hours before their admission.