A PLEA for residents to stay away from hospital if they are experiencing signs of diarrhoea or vomiting has been reissued.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group are appealing to members of the public to be sensible to try and stem the spread of infection in the borough.

They are advising people to use good hand washing and other hygienic practices as a matter of routine, as this will help stop the spread of further infection.

Pauline Jones, director of nursing at WWL said: “We are asking members of the public to be sensible and not visit the hospital if you have any symptoms.

“This advice is being given in order to limit the risk of visiting relatives acquiring the diarrhoea and vomiting virus.

"Similarly any relatives who have symptoms of this sort should not visit their relatives as they could infect them.

“We want to ensure all patients receive the right care, at the right time and in the right location. And A&E is not the right choice for minor conditions.

"Instead, we are advising that people make an appointment with their GP or visit Leigh Walk-in Centre.”

Members of the public with symptoms should eat small amounts of food and drink water frequently to stay hydrated.

The virus is normally a 36-48 hour bug and does not usually require medical intervention.

Further advice on how to treat diarrhoea and vomiting can be obtained from NHS111 by calling 111.