A DOZEN patients at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, have been hit by a winter vomiting bug.

The bug affected patients on a number of wards in Level 6 during the past fortnight but hospital managers say they have all recovered and are hopeful that the infection has not spread.

One resident from Marston, who asked not to be named, said his son, who is in his 30s, had contracted the bug.

He added: "He should have just been in for a few days for some treatment because of a build-up of fluid but now he has been in for 12 days and he has been moved seven times.

"At first he was on ward nine, then ward seven, then 11, and then he was given a private room.

"The infection caused diarrhoea and gave him a very bad stomach. We had to wear gowns to stop the infection spreading when we went to see him.

"We couldn't fault the efforts of the hospital staff, but it is worrying to get something like this when you are only supposed to be in hospital for a few days."

Rachel Yates, a spokesman for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, confirmed that 12 patients had contracted the winter vomiting bug.

She said: "This happens in the hospital every winter, and fortunately this time we are not talking about an outbreak - it was more like a cluster of cases. We are bound to see more throughout the winter.

"It's quite contagious and can last for up to 36 hours, so our infection control team has been trying to ensure that it does not spread.

"Some people do get admitted with it, and then we have to ensure that it does not spread among patients. It can affect patients of all ages."