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Critical incident at hospital stood down

St Richard's Hospital, ChichesterImage source, Google Maps
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The critical incident was declared at Chichester's St Richard's Hospital on Friday

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A critical incident at a West Sussex hospital due to a norovirus outbreak has been stood down.

Visiting remained suspended at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester on Sunday, as staff worked to control the spread of the virus.

The University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said teams and services at St Richard's remained under "severe pressure".

The critical incident was declared on Friday.

People have been advised to consider using alternatives to A&E if possible, which includes calling 111.

The NHS trust said it recognised the hard work of staff at the hospital and in the wider organisation for their "amazing efforts through this period of escalation".

It said there were exceptions on hospital visitation for those coming to see patients receiving end of life care, or parents and carers of children.

The trust added that the rules around visiting were being reviewed daily and asked people to contact the relevant ward directly.

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