All services at Sheffield Children's Hospital 'running as normal' despite weather

The hospital put out a public message on Twitter to patients this morning which read: "All hospital services and clinics are running as normal. If your appointment needs to be rearranged we will contact you.

But they also urged patients and visitors not to travel for appointments if this would put them at risk.

The hospital added: "Please do not travel if it is not safe. If you can't make your appointment please call 0114 3053691."

The move comes after Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust yesterday urged people not to attend A&E at the Northern General Hospital or any of its other hospitals due to the treacherous conditions unless it is 'absolutely urgent'.

Dr David Throssell, medical director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the appeal was necessary as patients may find that they 'may not be able to get back home' due to heavy snow on the roads.

He said: “We have a winter plan which covers adverse weather and so when the forecast was issued earlier in the week we began to take appropriate measures to enable services to keep running."

Dr Throssell praised staff for ensuring that no planned appointments or operations were cancelled yesterday and urged patients to 'continue to attend for appointments or procedures unless notified by us.'

He added: "Community teams will be making every effort to get to patients but this may take a little longer than normal.”

The Yorkshire Ambulance Service also thanked the dozens of volunteers who have stepped forward to help the stranded ambulance out of the snow.

This includes people who helped to dig out an ambulance in Norton Lees yesterday.

Paul Stevens, head of community resilience at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “During the winter period, and particularly when we are experiencing severe weather conditions, ensuring our frontline resources can reach those patients who urgently require clinical intervention is our priority. Some of our patients may be in outlying areas across Yorkshire and this becomes increasingly challenging. By utilising our CFRs, we can provide support to patients until an ambulance arrives on scene.

“We also have a number of CFRs with 4x4 vehicle capability who have made themselves available to support our frontline service and patients within their communities where hard-to-reach locations and difficult terrain have presented us with problems.”