A care home has been forced to close to visitors due to a sickness outbreak, with family members of residents saying they've been left concerned by the news.

Laurel Care Home, on Salisbury Road in Calmore, has asked family members not to visit residents at the home since February 11 after at least 11 residents fell ill with a diarrhoea and vomiting bug.

Correspondence seen by the Echo between the care home and family members show that both residents and staff have been affected.

It adds that they are required to have 72 hours clear of the last episode before it can re-open to visitors following a deep clean.

This is hoped to be Monday at the soonest, providing nobody else becomes sick.

Experts from the UK Health and Security Agency and and Integrated Care Board's Prevention Team have been contacted, the care home said in an email to families.

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A family member of a care home resident, who did not wish to be named, is concerned about the effect this extended period without visits is having. They said: "I am just worried about the effect it is having on the residents, not having any visitors.

"We are coming up to the 10th day now, and with this weekend it will have been two weeks.

"I am assured protocols are being follows, but where there are no visitors, it is literally the staff that are continuing to pass it around.

"We are desperate to see our loved one. I know a lot of the people there rely on visitors to keep their spirits up.

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"Obviously the staff do what they can but it is not the same as a family visiting and spending time sitting with them.

"We get email after email saying they are still closed. I fear it won't open for a while and it is leaving us in limbo."

Laurel Care Home is a family-run care home providing residential, nursing, respite and palliative care to 60 residents in individual rooms with en-suites.

A spokesperson for the care home did not wish to comment when approached by the Echo.

The care home was last inspected by the Care Quality Commission in 2019, and it was rated as "good". This rating was last reviewed in 2023.

UKHSA and Hampshire ICB were contacted for comment.