Hundreds of local people continued to receive the care they needed when Bath and North East Somerset was gripped by snowy weather and freezing temperatures recently, with local health and care staff going above and beyond to keep essential community services going.

Staff worked overnight, walked for miles in the snow, slept in hospitals and also ferried colleagues across the county in 4x4 vehicles as temperatures plummeted and snow carpeted the area.

Teams who work for Bath and North East Somerset’s Community Health and Care Services provided by Virgin Care, worked together with managers to implement contingency plans, so that services could continue to operate.

Julie Harrington, Smoking Cessation and Healthy Lifestyle lead enlisted the help of her husband, Neil and son, Alex, to ensure vital staff from Timsbury, Radstock, Farrington Gurney and Westfield could get to work using their 4x4 to drive in the snow.

Support Co-ordinator, Phil Midgley, who works for the Vocational Hub as part of the learning disabilities service team, kept the clinic open in Carrswood. Phil, who lives locally, later walked four miles from Twerton to Foxhill to see a service user and ensure she had enough food and was warm enough after her carer was unable to make a visit due to the weather.

District nurses, Sammy Lorriman and Mark Goodchild, who both came into work on their day off, walked from Farmborough to Timsbury in the morning and afternoon to see vulnerable local people who needed support from the service. Sammy clocked up over 21,000 steps on her Fitbit.

Kirsty Matthews, Managing Director of B&NES Health and Care Services for Virgin Care, said: “Our staff went above and beyond to care for the people they see and keep vital services going, and I would like to thank them for their hard work and dedication.”