Children banned from West Herts hospitals

Restrictions on children visiting hospital patients in West Herts have been put in place to reduce the spread of swine flu to patients and staff. West Hertfordshire Hospitals Trust has also imposed a limit of two visitors per patient at any one time, incl

Restrictions on children visiting hospital patients in West Herts have been put in place to reduce the spread of swine flu to patients and staff.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals Trust has also imposed a limit of two visitors per patient at any one time, including those on maternity wards.

Children are currently banned from the maternity wards and visitors are being asked not to bring them into general wards unless there are particularly special circumstances because of the risk of the infection spreading.

A spokesperson for the Trust said the hospitals were coping very well with the infection and stressed the measures had been taken as a precaution: "Visitors are being asked to help reduce the spread of infection by respecting the Trust's policy of only two people visiting a patient at any one time and not to visit patients if they have any signs or symptoms of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

"Children can be rapid spreaders of infection and the Trust is asking that children do not visit patients in hospital wards."

She added: "Patient safety and the delivery of high quality care are always the Trust's top priority. As a Trust we have been preparing our contingency plans in the event of a pandemic flu for some weeks and are working closely with our NHS colleagues.

"We do, however, need the public to work with us and would urge them to support the precautionary measures we have put in place in order for us to safeguard our patients and staff and help us prevent the flu virus spreading further.