Doctors are battling to reduce the backlog of patients needing operations after a winter vomiting bug swept through a north Wales hospital.

Health bosses at Wrexham Maelor Hospital have said the virus has practically been eradicated and all eight wards forced to close have been reopened.

We cancelled elective surgery for about a week so I guess around 40 operations had to be postponed

Andy Scotson hospital trust spokesman

Earlier this month nearly 200 patients and staff were struck down by the virus which leads to vomiting and diarrhoea.

Elective surgery had to be cancelled and around 40 operations were postponed.

At the peak of the outbreak patients who would normally have been admitted to the hospital were sent to Glan Clwyd in St Asaph, Countess of Chester and the Royal Shrewsbury over the border.

North East Wales NHS Trust spokesman Andy Scotson said they are now helping their colleagues in England.

"Chester are transferring services back over to us now.

Andy Scotson said the hospital is recovering

"We cancelled elective surgery for about a week so I guess around 40 operations had to be postponed.

"It did cause problems for us which we are trying to rectify.

"Thankfully, our outbreak is now over and operating is back to normal.

"I expect this is an outbreak the health service will see every year because it's in the community," he said.

Originally 11 wards had to be isolated but two reopened quickly, leaving eight medical wards as no-go areas.

Throughout the bug emergency operations, day surgery and children services were running as normal.

The first-known case of the bug was believed to have been recorded in Canada and was first identified in Britain three years ago in the Devon and Cornwall area.