Chalmers Hospital in Banff, Scotland has suspended all non-essential visiting following an outbreak of influenza and it is also closed now to new admissions
A hospital has suspended all non-essential visiting following an outbreak of influenza.
Chalmers Hospital in Banff, Scotland, is also closed to all new admissions, with visiting restricted and enhanced cleaning regimes also in place. NHS Grampian is also urging people with respiratory symptoms to stay at home.
It comes as several NHS trusts across the UK have declared critical incidents because of sustained pressure in A&E departments, with people being treated in corridors and a patient at one hospital forced to wait 50 hours to be admitted to a ward.
Public Health Scotland earlier this month described the amount of laboratory confirmed influenza this winter as “extraordinary” – with prevalence at 52.6 per 100,000 of the population in the week up to December 29. A spokesperson for NHS Grampian said: “The hospital is closed to new admissions, visiting is being limited to essential only visits, and enhanced cleaning regimes are in place.
“Influenza and similar illnesses, are very common, especially at this time of year. While unpleasant, most people will recover within a few days. Anyone suffering from any respiratory symptoms should stay at home.
“We want to thank all staff at the hospital for their hard work at this time, and to patients and their relatives for their understanding and cooperation.” The health board gave the following examples of where an essential visit will be supported:
- When someone is reaching the end of their life
- If someone has dementia/delirium and needs family support
- Support for someone with a learning disability
- A family member who has caring responsibilities
- Parents of a child in hospital
- Support during pregnancy and childbirth, including outpatient appointments, ante-natal and post-natal care
- Situations where someone is receiving life-changing information
- Those with acquired communication difficulties, e.g. stroke, aphasia, learning difficulties, or non-diagnosed LD with communication challenges
Any essential visitors should not attend if they have any symptoms of illness, reported AberdeenLive. The spokesperson added: “Do not come to any hospital to visit friends or family if you are feeling ill, even if you think ‘it’s just a sniffle’. What is a sniffle to you, might be a life-threatening flu infection to a vulnerable person.”
In recent days, hospitals in Northamptonshire, Cornwall, Liverpool, Hampshire, Birmingham, Plymouth and the Wirral have declared critical incidents. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust declared a critical incident on Wednesday, with a statement on its website saying attendances at Warwick Hospital’s emergency department in the last week “have been consistently some of the highest” ever experienced.
An NHS England spokesperson said: “The NHS is facing unprecedented demand for services but we remain clear that caring for patients in temporary spaces is not acceptable and should never be considered as standard.
“A&E capacity and patient flow through hospitals have however both been severely impacted by record levels of demand this winter, such as the increase in flu admissions and the thousands of beds being taken up by patients ready for discharge. NHS staff continue to provide the safest possible care for patients, including an expansion of same day emergency care and more care in the community.”
The number of deaths involving flu in the first week of this year was almost quadruple that of the same time last year, figures show for Scotland. Statistics released by the National Records of Scotland show 71 people died in the first week of 2025 where flu was mentioned on their death certificate.
This is compared to 18 in the first week of 2024. The NHS has been dealing with an “extraordinary” flu outbreak this winter, which has contributed to pressure on the health service, with ministers and clinicians urging those who are eligible to get vaccinated.
