Chesterfield Royal Hospital shuts down ward after staff and patients test positive for Covid-19

The trust which runs the Calow hospital revealed it has taken the decision while a tracing exercise to swab all patients and staff – and contact family members – takes place.

A trust spokesperson said the hospital wanted to keep ‘everyone up-to-date with correct and truthful information’.

"So before you hear if from other sources, we wanted to tell you what’s happening in the hospital today – and why we’ve taken a decision to close Eastwood Ward - our stroke unit - to both patients and visitors,” the Royal posted on Facebook today.

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“Right now, we’re caring for 37 patients who have Coronavirus – and 12 of these are in intensive care.

"These sorts of numbers have remained static for the past week or so.

"Two of these patients are on Eastwood Ward and we also have two staff on the ward who are now confirmed positive.

“At the moment though we don’t know how these patients contracted COVID-19, it could be from someone who visited them, or from a member of staff who showed no signs of symptoms.

"We need to carry out a tracing exercise, swab all patients and staff – and contact family members.

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"We will do everything we can to support everyone on the ward and we are looking after these patients in side rooms, ensuring they receive the right clinical care for both stroke and Covid-19.

"We will make sure loved-ones are kept up-to-date, we will help patients use iPads and phones to keep in touch and we will make sure our staff are looked after as well.

At the moment, as a sensible and precautionary measure, patients in the community who may have suffered a stroke will be taken to other specialist units in hospitals close by.

"Our partners in the ambulance service and other health care providers are aware of this and are fully supportive.

“We have not yet taken a decision to close visiting across the Trust.

"However we need all visitors coming to other areas of the hospital to follow ‘hands, face and space’ and all the ‘rules’ of our designated system.”

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