SIX people are still ill after a ward at the Great Western Hospital was hit by a vomiting and diarrhoea virus.

The Jupiter ward was closed after an outbreak of a virus similar to Norwalk which affected 35 people.

The symptoms first became apparent last week and hospital bosses closed the ward and sent any staff home who were showing signs of being infected.

In total 20 patients and 15 staff were ill.

Hospital spokesman Chris Birdsall said: "We are looking to re-open the ward in the next few days.

"As soon as staff feel ill we have to send them home and we started a regime of alcohol gel hand-washing to minimise the chance of a spread of infection.

"These viruses do come round quite regularly but are not life-threatening.

"We minimise the number of people coming into the ward to make sure the infection is not being spread elsewhere."

There is no treatment for the Norwalk virus. Patients are advised to drink lots of fluids and rest. Most are infected for between 48 and 60 hours.