Bristol Royal Infirmary has been forced to close its intensive care unit to new patients after an outbreak of an infection.

Health bosses closed the ward at the city centre acute hospital yesterday after two people were confirmed as having the multi-drug resistant bug acinetobacter.

A third patient reported to be showing signs of the bug is waiting for test results.

The intensive care unit will remain closed to new patients until everyone who is currently being cared for has been moved elsewhere – which could be about two weeks. A deep clean will then be carried out.

Patients will be moved to lower-dependency units as they would normally but will be kept apart from other people. When all 14 patients have been moved the intensive care unit will be hydrogen peroxide blasted and then swabbed by a microbiologist to check all traces of the bacteria have been removed.

Planned surgery that could require patients to stay in the unit may be cancelled at the hospital until it reopens.

Other cases will be dealt with in other intensive care areas within University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital.