Four wards at Belfast City Hospital have been closed down due to an outbreak of a stomach virus.
Hospital chiefs fear more wards may have to be closed depending on the severity of the gastroenteritis virus, known as Small Round Structured Virus (SRSV), which has struck four of 11 floors at the hospital's tower block.
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The hospital's medical director Dr Ken Fullerton said the ward closures would put pressure on hospital services, particularly the accident and emergency unit.
He urged all patients booked to be admitted for treatment to contact the hospital first but said arrangements had been made for those in "urgent need" to be admitted to other wards in the hospital.
He said the hospital's infection control teams had advised that the virus was highly infectious but not serious. "It has been identified as one which causes symptoms for a few days and then clears up. It does not require treatment".
The same virus affected Northern Ireland hospitals in January and led to ward closures in several hospitals struggling to cope with high winter admissions.
PA