Important information about visiting our hospitals

Following a temporary pause to visiting in most areas of our Countess of Chester and Ellesmere Port hospitals due to a rise in norovirus cases, we are pleased to confirm that normal visiting has now resumed. We want to thank the public you for your patience and understanding during the past couple of weeks.

Pausing visiting was not a decision we took lightly and we know it has been difficult for relatives to be apart from their loved ones; however, it has had the desired effect of preventing the spread of norovirus.

Meanwhile, whilst normal visiting has resumed, norovirus is a seasonal illness that we must be mindful of.

Please continue to help keep our patients safe by:

• avoiding visiting if you are feeling unwell
• if you are visiting, please be aware that norovirus can spread in non-symptomatic people and use the hand sanitisers that are on our wards.

Sue Pemberton, Acting Director of Nursing and Quality and Acting Assistant Chief Executive Officer, said:

“We have been reviewing the norovirus situation at our Countess of Chester and Ellesmere Port hospitals on a daily basis since we paused most visiting to keep our most vulnerable patients safe.

This was a not a decision we took lightly, however it has had the desired effect of preventing the spread of norovirus and we are pleased to update that the virus is no longer impacting our patients and visiting will now resume as normal. We know it has been difficult for relatives to be apart from their loved ones over these last two weeks and are grateful to those who have been unable to visit for their patience and understanding. 

Whilst normal visiting has resumed, norovirus is a seasonal illness that we must be mindful of and so we ask that the public to continue to help keep our patients safe – please avoid visiting you are feeling unwell and if you are visiting please be aware that norovirus can spread in non-symptomatic people and use the hand sanitisers that are on our wards.”