VISITOR restrictions are in place at Arrowe Park Hospital to prevent the spread of flu and vomiting bug Norovirus.

A spokesperson for Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust said it was necessary for the measures to be put in place to protect patients, staff and visitors.

The restrictions will be kept under review on a daily basis and we will make announcements on our website and through social media if there are any changes.

Patient appointments, procedures and surgery are not affected by these restrictions, which are related to inpatient at Wirral University Teaching Hospital.

The following visiting restrictions are in place until further notice:

No children under the age of 12 allowed to visit people at the hospital at any time.

Do not visit anyone in hospital if you’re feeling unwell yourself, or have been vomiting, sneezing or had diarrhoea in the last 48 hours.

Visiting is restricted on all inpatient wards to between 2pm and 8pm daily. Visiting outside these hours is strictly prohibited

Visiting is restricted to no more than two people per patient at any one time.

Only one visitor per patient is permitted within the Emergency Department and Urgent Medical Assessment Centre.

Make sure all unnecessary personal possessions that cannot fit in the locker are kept at home to help us clean the areas thoroughly.

Special arrangements can be made with the Ward Manager for those visiting people at the end of their life, or who are actively involved in providing care for their loved ones. Please inform the Ward Manager of your needs and arrangements can be made for you.

Paul Moore, acting chief nurse said: "The Trust has made the difficult decision to introduce visiting restrictions to help minimise the spread of winter bugs. These are highly contagious.

"In recent weeks we have been urging members of the public not to visit the hospital if they have been unwell; however, it is now necessary to adhere to strict visiting restrictions.

"It has not been possible to effectively contain winter bugs as they are continuously brought back into the hospital from the community.

"The safety of our patients, our staff and the wider community is our highest priority."