Hospital staff struck down by bug

MORE than 20 staff at a Scottish hospital are off sick after catching the winter vomiting virus which has closed seven wards to new patients.

NHS Lanarkshire said 22 staff had been hit the by the norovirus, which has also affected 70 patients at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie since last weekend.

Of those, 31 patients still have symptoms.

The hospital has rescheduled non-urgent planned operations for the last two days, due to wards being closed to new admissions. Elective surgery has also been rescheduled for patients due in on Monday and Tuesday next week.

An NHS Lanarkshire spokesman said the staffing situation was not affecting services and these were running as normal.

However, Scottish Labour said the hospital had been “virtually closed” by the spread of the infection

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “Patients and their families have a right to expect when they go into hospital they will be treated in safe conditions. At a time of staff shortages the spread of the norovirus at Monklands Hospital is an example of what can happen if infection is not stopped from spreading.

“The situation is clearly getting worse and the fact so many staff members have also been affected and non-emergency operations are being cancelled means Monklands has been virtually closed.”