Herefordshire spirit shines through despite Winter blast

Health and care leaders in Herefordshire would like to thank agencies and the people of Herefordshire for pulling out all the stops to ensure that people were cared for during the severe weather this week across the county.

Simon Hairsnape, Accountable Officer for Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Although not ideal conditions, this kind of incident is where Herefordshire really does shine. We’ve seen multiple agencies, organisations and citizens pull together to ensure people are looked after and essential services can be maintained.

“A big thank you goes out to our GPs and primary care staff who were able to maintain business as usual and ensure those that needed to see a doctor, could do so.”

Jon Barnes, Chief Operating Officer at Wye Valley NHS Trust, said he wanted to thank Trust staff who had gone the extra mile to get in to work despite the snow, and added: “Special thanks must go to the volunteers and partner agencies including the 4X4 volunteer response group that has offered 4x4 vehicles to ensure that patients can be transported safely and that our county’s doctors, nurses, social workers and carers could get to work or reach patients. We also need to thank the Hereford and Worcester Fire & Rescue Service, the Environment Agency and the Red Cross among others.

“This is about everyone coming together to look after each other and generally pulling together when things get difficult.

“Although the weather is set to improve over the coming days, people are reminded that our A&E department is under extreme pressure during this time of year and we are reminding people to contact their GP, use 111 or see a local pharmacy if they are unwell but it’s not an emergency.