HOSPITAL staff claim pleas for people to stay away are going unheeded while a virulent stomach bug forces the closure of wards.

The Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital has reneweded appeals for visitors to stay away if they have had any diarrhoea or vomiting or have been in contact with somebody who has.

The call came as the RD&E enters its second week of high numbers of ward closures because of contagious norovirus bug.

The bug has also hit other hospitals across the county.

Elaine Hobson, director of operations at the RD&E, said: "We are experiencing a high number of norovirus cases within the hospital, which has prompted our closure of wards.

"We are concerned that despite the publicity and notices throughout the hospital site, including the entrances to affected wards, people are still coming in to see their relatives and friends when this could compromise our infection control measures and put their own wellbeing at risk.

"Norovirus is an unpleasant illness, particularly for patients who are already unwell.

"When we have a patient with norovirus on a ward our infection control measures stop patient transfers and new patient admissions, which means none of the beds in that ward are available to us until patients there are symptom free and the area is cleaned. It also means staff who are nursing and looking after affected patients are at risk of getting the bug."

She said norovirus was spread easily through contact with anyone who already had it. For hospitals it caused a problem when anyone who had the illness, or been exposed to it without their knowledge, came in as a patient or a visitor.

Ms Hobson added: "Without realising it they may pass the bug to others. This is why we need to discourage all non-essential visits to the hospital."

Two community hospitals have also been affected, with two wards at Tiverton still closed for a rigorous clean. One ward is due to open today, and the other on Friday.

Exmouth Hospital also has one ward closed.

The wards at the RD&E closed to new admissions and visitors yesterday were Kenn and Bovey, which specialise in care for people with Parkinson's disease and of older people; Clyst, for stroke patients; Okement, a gastroenterology and general medicine ward; Durbin, for trauma patients; and Bolham, for acute elderly care and neurology; with one bay in Culm ward, for respiratory medicine, affected.

Cardiology and dermatology ward Avon is expected to reopen today.

Patients due to go into the RD&E for treatment are advised get in touch if they have had diarrhoea or vomiting in the past 48 hours or contact with anyone with these symptoms.