Amazing NHS staff pictured battling through snow on house calls in Airedale

Airedale Hospital NHS Trust's staff faced particularly challenging conditions in hilly rural areas of Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven.

Community teams have been battling through snow drifts to reach patients in their own homes and at clinics - and some have even travelled to appointments by tractor.

Clinical lead for community nursing Liz Thwaite said:

“It’s been challenging. Our staff have been making extraordinary efforts to get round patients either on foot or in 4x4s working co-operatively across teams, and some have been rescued/transported by friends and family members with tractors.”

Those with 4x4s have been driving stranded colleagues to the main hospital site in Keighley, while Ripon Farm Services in Cross Hills supplied some of their John Deere tractors to transport medical staff.

Patients booked in for clinic appointments or operations have been advised to check that they are still going ahead before travelling.

Pictured are staff trying to reach patients in the villages of Kettlewell, Hellifield, Broughton, Cullingworth and Steeton.

In Leeds yesterday, a heroic care worker travelled two miles on foot over snowy fields to reach a patient with a spinal injury. Wendy Cross had to abandon her car in Yeadon and went cross-country to visit the man at his home in Guiseley.

While Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust put out an appeal to 4x4 drivers to volunteer to drive staff to patients.