Four Sussex hospitals ask staff and visitors to wear masks

Pat Cattini, director of infection prevention and control at the Sussex trust, told BBC Radio Sussex: “We’re advising patients with symptoms to put masks on.

“We’re advising staff who are dealing with patients, especially on the front line, to wear a mask.

“We’re, of course, promoting hand hygiene because surfaces get contaminated with flu virus.”

East Surrey Hospital in Redhill declared a critical incident on 2 January due to pressure on its services, with all visitors to clinical areas also required to wear masks.