A ward at Dunedin Hospital is closed and some elective surgery postponed, due to a suspected outbreak of norovirus.
Ward 5B, which is for ear, nose, throat and neuroscience patients, will not accept any admissions or visitors until further notice.
Anyone seriously ill who would otherwise be admitted to the ward, will be looked after in other wards.
Control Charge Nurse Manager Jo Stoddart says eight staff and four patients are ill with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal pain.
Because of this, five patients have had their elective surgeries postponed.
However, a High Dependency Unit at 5B has not been affected by the suspected norovirus.
