YORK hospital managers were today hoping a bug which has caused wards to be closed to new admissions and routine operations to be cancelled could be easing.

There are now 41 patients suffering from the illness which causes stomach upsets and diarrhoea, a drop of six on yesterday's total.

The number of staff affected by what is known as a Norwalk-type virus has remained the same at 19.

A hospital spokesman added: "The most important thing as far as we are concerned is that the number of wards affected has been contained to seven.

"We think the situation is showing some signs of easing.

"As a result we are cautiously optimistic that over the Easter period we will be able to reopen some of the beds on the wards that have been affected."

No elective, or routine, surgery had been planned for the holiday period, though it had been intended to do some on Tuesday.

"But we have taken the decision that it's probably prudent to postpone the majority of planned surgery for Tuesday," the spokesman added.

He stressed this would not affect emergency surgery, or outpatient or day cases. The hospital would contact people whose operations were being cancelled and make every effort to reschedule them after the current situation had eased enough.

A decision would be made on Tuesday about non-urgent operations scheduled for Wednesday and the rest of the week.

The extent of the virus was revealed in the Evening Press earlier this week when five wards were closed to new admissions.

It was estimated around 20 operations a day would be lost, ranging from varicose veins to hernias,

Hospital staff with symptoms were asked to stay at home and anyone showing signs or the illness was urged not to go to hospital, either to visit patients or for surgery or clinics, until 72 hours after the end of the symptoms.

The Norwalk virus is sometimes known as winter vomiting disease or gastric flu.

Although the symptoms last for only 24 to 48 hours, it is passed very easily from person to person.

The hospital has experienced bouts of the virus during winter periods before, but staff said it was unusual for it to resurface in the spring.