Chesterfield Royal Hospital issues appeal over meningitis outbreak concerns after national incident declared
Chesterfield Royal Hospital has issued an appeal following an outbreak of meningitis in Kent.
The meningitis outbreak in Kent has caused concerns across the country after two people lost their life in the outbreak, including a university student and a sixth former.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has declared a national incident on Sunday, March 15 and continues to investigate the cases.
There are now a total of 27 confirmed or suspected cases of the disease across the country, UKHSA has reported.
According to the NHS, meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord and can be very serious if not treated quickly.
It can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.
Meningitis can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.
Now Chesterfield Royal Hospital has issued an appeal to local community, urging anyone with symptoms to act immediately.
The hospital has also confirmed that the NHS has not seen an increase in meningitis cases locally.
A spokesperson for Chesterfield Royal Hospital said: “You will have seen in the news that there has been an outbreak of meningitis in Kent.
“We would like to reassure our community that we have not seen any rise in the number of cases here at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
“Meningitis symptoms can develop quickly, so it’s important to act immediately if you have any signs or symptoms in yourself or anyone else.”
The following symptoms are characteristic for meningitis – they may appear in any order and not everyone will always get all the symptoms:
- a high temperature (fever)
- being sick
- a headache
- a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop)
- a stiff neck
- a dislike of bright lights
- drowsiness or unresponsiveness
- seizures (fits)
NHS has issued the following safety advice for anyone who might have meningitis: “Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E immediately if you think you or someone you look after could have meningitis or sepsis.
“Trust your instincts and do not wait for all the symptoms to appear or until a rash develops. Someone with meningitis or sepsis can get a lot worse very quickly.
“Call NHS 111 for advice if you're not sure if it's anything serious or you think you may have been exposed to someone with meningitis.
“If you've had medical advice and are still worried or any symptoms get worse, get medical help again.”