Coronavirus: Weston General Hospital reopens to new patients

A hospital that stopped accepting new patients due to a high number of coronavirus cases has reopened.

Weston General Hospital closed temporarily to new patients on 25 May to "maintain patient and staff safety".

The A&E department has reopened and clinics have resumed after there were no new coronavirus cases on non-Covid wards and following staff testing.

The University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust said it can now "safely re-start services".

The A&E department is open from 08:00-22:00 BST daily and all clinics have restarted so patients with scheduled appointments should "attend as planned".

Staff had been tested "at least twice" or had completed recommended isolation periods to confirm they did not have coronavirus.

The hospital has the "appropriate levels" of personal protective equipment (PPE) and anyone visiting has been asked to wear a face covering.

The trust's medical director Dr William Oldfield said: "The strict criteria we put in place to ensure we can safely re-start services have been met.

"Deep cleaning has been carried out at the hospital and appropriate zoning and social distancing measures are in place in line with national guidance."