Facemasks are to be reintroduced to Royal Bolton Hospital to contain the spread of virus as medics battle a rising number of flu cases.
The hospital has seen a high number of flu cases in recent weeks, with 42 patients in the hospital with flu on Thursday 2 January, up from an average of seven in September.
To address this, all staff, patients and visitors will be asked to wear fluid-repellent surgical face masks in inpatient areas from TODAY.
Read more: Number of people in hospital with flu ‘rising at a very concerning rate’
Read more: Flu cases at Royal Bolton five times higher amid ‘quad-demic’
Tyrone Roberts, chief nursing officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said:” We are seeing a high number of flu cases in our hospital, and it’s important that we take steps to address this to protect our patients, staff and visitors, as for some people flu can be a very serious illness.
“We’re asking for your help to stop the spread of flu and other winter illnesses by wearing a face mask when coming in to patient areas in our hospital, such as wards.
“We’ll be keeping this temporary measure under review until the peak of flu infections reduce in the coming weeks. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding in keeping everyone as safe as possible while they’re in our care or at work.”
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Supplies of face masks are available throughout the hospital site. Simple steps to wearing a face mask effectively include:
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The mask needs be secured to cover the nose and mouth when in use
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They should not be pulled down when talking
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They should not be re-used and should be discarded immediately once removed
All NHS frontline health workers have also been offered the COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and encouraged to protect themselves and those they care for.
People across Bolton are also being urged to get their flu vaccines by using the online ‘find a pharmacy’ service to find a pharmacy that offers free flu vaccinations. This service is open until 31 March 2025.
The flu vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu. Find who can get the flu vaccine for free.
If you are not able to get a free flu vaccination, you may be able to pay for it at some pharmacies.
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Medical director at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust Dr Francis Andrews said: “We’re seeing more patients at Royal Bolton Hospital with severe flu requiring hospital treatment. While we have specialist doctors and nurses to manage these cases, many of these patients are unvaccinated and seriously ill.”
Nationally, the number of people in hospital with flu in England is rising at a “very concerning rate” and is more than four times the level it was a month ago, according to NHS data.
Figures from NHS England show an average of 4,469 flu patients were in beds in England each day last week, including 211 in critical care.
This is up 17 per cent from 3,818 the previous week, when 184 were in critical care and is more than four times the number on December 1, when the figure was 1,098.
When comparing to last winter, the average number of flu patients in hospital in England each day last week is up sharply on the equivalent week last year when the average was 1,312.