The Kent hospital that declared a “critical incident” last week due to high levels of norovirus
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate(Image: Gareth Fuller/PA)
A Kent hospital that declared a “critical incident” last week due to high levels of norovirus and other seasonal illnesses has now reopened all its wards to visitors. The emergency protocol was put in place at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital in Margate on Monday, January 12, amid ongoing pressure on hospital services and bed capacity. The East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKUFT), which runs the hospital, is now allowing visitors to wards that had previously been closed to help stop the spread of the stomach bug.
The trust is still advising people not to attend the hospital’s A&E department unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
A critical incident is declared when the level of disruption means a trust temporarily or permanently loses its ability to provide essential services. According to the NHS, this can happen when “patients may have been harmed or the environment is not safe, requiring special measures and support from other agencies, to restore normal operating functions.”
The QEQM measures came as EKUFT faces a worsening emergency care crisis. Recent figures show that last year saw the highest number of 12-hour ‘trolley waits’ on record. Eight days after declaring the critical incident, the trust confirmed that visiting restrictions have been lifted.
A statement from EKUFT said: “We are now able to reopen all wards at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital to visitors. However, some bays within certain wards are still affected by norovirus, so please check with your loved one before visiting.”
“Pausing visiting was not a decision that we took lightly, but our absolute priority was to protect patients and reduce the risk of spreading norovirus and other winter illnesses to staff and vulnerable people. We have reopened visiting as soon as possible because we know how important it is for patients and their loved ones to have face-to-face contact.”
The trust noted that improvements had already been seen across the hospital by Thursday, just three days after the critical incident was declared. Areas initially unaffected included the children’s ward, critical care units, and maternity departments, with visitors also allowed to see patients receiving end-of-life care.
EKUFT advises that visitors should only attend once they have been symptom-free from norovirus for 48 hours. Due to the seasonal nature of the illness, people are asked to visit only one patient at a time and, where possible, attend alone and without children.
Sarah Hayes, East Kent Hospitals’ chief nursing and midwifery officer, said: “On behalf of all our staff, I would like to thank our local community for the way people have responded during this challenging time. By using health services wisely, you are helping our staff care for patients who need us most. We are still extremely busy, but the continued support and understanding of the public really does make a difference. I also want to thank our teams, who remain committed to providing safe, compassionate care to everyone who needs us.”
EKUFT manages five hospitals—QEQM, William Harvey, Buckland, Royal Victoria, and Kent and Canterbury—as well as several community clinics, providing care to around 700,000 people across east Kent.
