RESTRICTED visiting times at Hampshire’s hospitals are set to continue over the festive period because of illness.

Due to sickness and diarrhoea in hospitals, visiting hours at Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital have been restricted to between 6.30pm and 7.30pm only. This is to stop possible transmission and help prevent further cases.

The restrictions were put in place last week and will continue over Christmas and Boxing Day.

All wards are currently open but Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has urged people to help keep it this way by not visiting within 48 hours of having any symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting or flu-like illness. It is also advisable that young children and elderly people avoid visiting.

The nurse in charge of each ward should be contacted if friends and families are concerned about visiting arrangements.

The contact details for each ward can be found on www.hampshirehosptials.nhs.uk, on the homepage under A-Z Wards.