HILLINGDON Hospital has made an extra 50 beds available to cope with a surge of patients during the flu season.
The hospital, in Pield Heath Road, is expecting more sick people will arrive as the temperatures drop and viruses spread.
It has opened up 18 beds in Lister Ward, previously a daycare unit but now the hospital’s designated overflow area.
Seven other wards will have extra beds available, including another daycare unit, Pinewood, bringing the total to 50.
The hospital said there is the possibility of using another ward from the end of March if needed.
Staff have been offered vaccinations and regular meetings are planned with other health bodies to discuss how they are coping.
A spokeswoman for the hospital said: “We have been required at times to use the additional beds through November. Our plan is to continue to deploy additional beds to ensure the needs of patients are appropriately met.
“Our staff have coped extremely well so far with the extra pressures and we would like to thank them for their hard work.”
Two weeks ago the hospital had to close a ward after an outbreak of norovirus, the so-called ‘winter vomiting virus’. It has re-opened but last week managers were forced to close another ward when norovirus returned.
Fiona Jarvis, lead nurse for infection control, warned visitors with symptoms of the bug to stay away and urged everyone to take extra hygiene steps to prevent infection from spreading.
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