Hospitals in Suffolk and Essex have urged visitors to think carefully before calling in on friends and relatives to avoid spreading winter illnesses at an already busy time.
The advice comes after Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge confirmed an outbreak of flu among its patients and urged visitors to stay away if they have suffered such symptoms in the past 48 hours.
Ipswich, Colchester, West Suffolk and James Paget hospitals have all avoided any flu outbreaks so far this festive season.
However, the hospital teams have advised people to consider whether they are well enough before visiting.
A spokesman for Ipswich Hospital said: “We are asking visitors to think very carefully about whether they are well before coming in, because any outbreak of flu or other bugs can have a very serious impact.”
Hospitals in the region are already facing high demands on services.
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