Important information for patients and visitors

Containing and managing norovirus 

If you are feeling ill or have recently had diarrhoea or vomiting, it is really important that you do not visit the hospitals until you are at least 72 hours free of symptoms.

Visitors are also encouraged to wash hands carefully with soap and water both before and after visiting a clinical ward area. You should also make use of the alcohol gels available around the Trust site.

If you are due to have an outpatients appointment and feel unwell, please call the department to see if it is suitable for you to attend.

Please try to avoid visiting if you are frail or generally vulnerable. Please do not bring children under 16 to visit patients in affected areas.

Using the right service

We also recently experienced an increase in emergency admissions.

The emergency department is for life-threatening emergencies only. There are a number of alternative services for you to choose, and using the right one will help you get treatment quicker.

If you need urgent treatment for a minor illness or injury that isn’t life threatening, please go to an urgent treatment centre – the closest one is located at the Royal South Hants Hospital. Their waiting times can be considerably shorter than emergency departments and they can refer or direct you to the most appropriate service.

If you’re not sure which service you need, call NHS 111. This is a free telephone helpline that is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can find more information on NHS 111, including accessibility options, on the Use the Right Service website.

For further help finding the service you need, visit the Use the Right Service website. Here you can find information on all the different NHS services in Southampton and south west Hampshire.