A major outbreak of Norovirus in an acute NHS hospital in 2010: a practical management approach

Abstract

This article describes a major outbreak of Norovirus that occurred in February 2010 in an acute hospi-T tal in London, including a summary of the epidemiology, control measures, and impact on the organisation. Due to the scale of this outbreak, the design of the site, and multiple patient safety priorities, outbreak management strictly in accordance with national guidelines proved to be difficult. Large-scale cohorting measures were implemented and appeared to be helpful in terminating the outbreak, supporting the delivery of safe patient care for emergency admissions, and minimising impact on the trust’s achievement of performance targets. With current demands on NHS resources, adoption of more flexible approaches to the isolation and cohorting of patients with diarrhoea and vomiting due to Norovirus may be required.