Broomfield hospital suspends surgery over norovirus bug
All routine surgery and patient visiting have been suspended at an Essex hospital following an outbreak of a sickness bug.
Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford has also shut five wards to new admissions because of the spread of the norovirus.
The illness lasts about two days, but can be infectious for up to three more days.
Managers at Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust said the situation was being reviewed on a daily basis.
Dr Louise Teare, director of infection prevention and control, said: "We know that this virus, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting, is brought into the hospital from the community.
"It is very important that people who have had the virus, or been in contact with someone who has had it, do not come to the hospital."