Public Health England has issued an alert today (16 July) about rising cases of norovirus in the community. In response, Dr Nick Scriven, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “We are now just days away from the lifting of the remaining restrictions in England and our NHS is under great strain.
“This has been compounded today by the warning that cases of norovirus, commonly known as the winter vomiting bug, have now reached pre-pandemic levels in summer.
“Considering the impact this has when it makes its way into hospitals – bed closures, infecting seriously unwell people and staff absence – it is frankly very worrying.
“At the moment, clinicians across the country are asking themselves exactly what the government is thinking given the fact healthcare is being ravaged.”