Miss Smith has seen her business decline since the signs first started appearing on the wards two or three years ago. Picture by Richard Wainwright (00705789)

THE owner of the florist’s shop at the General Hospital says that she has no option but to close – because staff are discouraging family and friends from taking flowers onto wards.

Kay Smith, the owner of The Flower Shop, says that her business has been hit by signs on some wards asking visitors not to bring in blooms because of ‘staff allergies’.

She added that other people had told her that flowers were a threat to infection control. When the shop closes on 13 June, it will be the first time since the hospital opened that there has not been a florist on the site.

Miss Smith took over the shop nine years ago and says that she is devastated to be closing. She explained that the signs had started to go up two or three years ago and her business had been affected almost immediately.

Mike Le Fevre, the director of estates and hotel services at Health, said that it was up to ward managers to decide whether it was appropriate for flowers to be allowed onto wards.

He explained that they might be banned while an asthmatic was being treated, because water in vases could become stagnant or if the flowers got in the way of doctors and nurses.