PRIMARY school age youngsters are being urged not to visit patients at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital other than in the children’s and maternity wards.

Medical director Dr Colin Close issued the plea following “some isolated cases” of the winter vomiting and diarrhoea norovirus bug.

He said: “It’s particularly important that children aged 11 and under don’t visit patients in hospital unless absolutely necessary.

“This is because we know that junior schools and nurseries are often most affected by norovirus and therefore attendances by young children will increase the chance of spreading any bugs in Musgrove.”

Other restrictions include: *people should not visit Musgrove if they have had diarrhoea or vomiting in the previous two days; *visitors should clean their hands thoroughly with alcohol gel at the entrance to every ward or department; *only close family and friends will be able to visit wards affected with norovirus – and they should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before leaving the ward.

Dr Close added: “We want to look after our patients as well as we can and these restrictions play and important role in helping us do that this winter.”