A HOSPITAL was forced to turn away all but emergency cases after being deluged with patients suffering from a respiratory virus.
Wishaw General had to divert non-999 patients to the other Lanarkshire hospitals, Monklands and Hairmyres, so it could cope with the influx.
NHS Lanarkshire said Wishaw had experienced a 64% surge in patients suffering from the bug, which can cause a severe cough and bad throat.
Monklands and Hairmyres have also seen increases in patient numbers of 36% and 42% respectively, but are still accepting emergency and routine referrals.
Officials said the hospitals were treating people who had "become quite ill" from the bug and needed urgent care.
A statement from NHS Lanarkshire said: "Patient safety is a priority, so the decision was taken to divert 999 calls for a short period to ensure patients requiring admission are admitted to a bed as quickly as possible."
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