A&E staff arrived at work thanks to farmer Raymond Dart
GP Dr Susan Taheri and Chris Burrows
Posted on 03/02/2018 11:47:51 PM PST by nickcarraway
A three-mile strtech of road was ploughed by Devon farm workers to ensure the RD&E's executive director and a consultant radiologist could get to work this morning
Devon farmers are being hailed as heroes for bringing in doctors and nurses to work today so that they can care for patients.
GP Susan Taheri swapped her usual mode of transport today for a tractor to get Bow Medical Practice near Crediton.
It was driven by local farmer Chris Burrows who has been among the many caring people across Devon to have shown true community spirit by volunteering to take health workers to local hospitals and health centres.
Dedicated team members at Bow Medical Practice stayed overnight to keep services running.
Managing partner Michelle Freeburn, dispensing technician Jan Phipps and clinical administrator Wendy Whitby all packed their bags and remained on site around the clock to ensure that patients continued to be well cared for despite the extreme conditions.
Michelle said: "Other staff have heroically arrived for work this morning in 4x4s, so we are able to offer a full service.
“Everyone has really gone the extra mile to ensure continuity of care for our patient community, I am so proud of the efforts, dedication and commitment of our amazing team."
Local patients and residents volunteered use of their 4x4 vehicles for home visits and delivery of medication.
Michelle added: "The community spirit has been absolutely fantastic and we want to thank everyone who is helping keep our patients safe and well.”
The medical director at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital managed to get in from his home in the Teign Valley today thanks to local farmer Ed Ellis who got one of his men to plough the road from his remote house to the main road - a stretch of about three miles.
Medical Director Adrian Harris said: “He did this to ensure I could get in because I’m the RD&E’s executive director on call today.
“I can’t thank them enough for such an amazing effort to get me to work. I also brought Laura Gillette, one of our consultant radiologists, with me.
“Laura walked three miles through deep snow up and out of the Teign Valley to get in with me.”
Clinical matron Lucy Bates at North Devon District Hospital tweeted today how a local farmer had helped A&E staff get to work by tractor this morning.
She said: “The Snow didn't stop ED staff getting to work thanks to farmer Raymond Dart.”
The latest Met Office weather forecast says an amber warning for snow and wind has been lifted by the Met Office, but a yellow warning is still in place across all of the South West.
The yellow warning which came into place at 10.30pm this morning will be in force until 11.55pm this evening.
GP Dr Susan Taheri and Chris Burrows
Deep Snow. ROTFLMAO. A dusting. I wouldn’t even fire up my snowblower for that. That is put the top down on the vette level snow where I am. Here that is shorts and a T winter weather for some. Hilarious.
It’s usually not the depth of snow that’s the problem for vehicles but rather the icy slush that forms when snow falls on warm ground.
You being from Indiana should know that - in Illinois, the worst driving was when when there had been sleet on slightly warm pavement and it formed “black ice” ... often it didn’t look like there much snow at all if any, but just appeared to be damp pavement. That’s when the ditches in Illinois would be full of Missouri drivers, who for some unknown reason always were more accident-prone than their neighbors.
Not to mention have you seen the cars they drive on that side of the pond?
Then you drive really really slow. You test conditions in a safe place and drive accordingly. I have driven 40 miles on a half inch sheet of sleet and back again. 5 mph mind you, but you and I both know it is easy. You just need the patience of Jobe. Of course our roads are flat, but that looks flat too.
Are they licensed as taxi drivers? Have they paid the proper fees and filled out the paper work? Has the EU approved this? The bureaucracy will not be pleased.
hmmm....2 inches maybe?
How did that tractor “plough” any thing? It has no attachments.
When the sun comes up here I will be “”ploughing” 6 inches of new snow last night, from the sidewalk, with my hand held snow shovel. Then my gas guzzling SUV will easily make the 4 mile trip to the store for doughnuts and coffee - on the unplowed road.
I had to laugh at that 3 inches of snow. But - here in Seattle it turns to ice and that stops most folks. Growing up in Minnesota I recall a few storms where we got 2 feet or more in a night. The guys with snowmobiles would bring the doctors and such in.
The neighbor across the street had one at his house. It was a two-day party on our block - he would make the runs to the liquor store.
16 hour round trip..... Did you do this every day?
I visited Minnesota once. Spent a week up at Lake Winnie and went to the mouth of the Mississippi. Beautiful country. I heard there were a lot of such parties during the winter up there.....a lot of them....like a LOT!!!!
When I was in my very early 20’s I had friends that threw constant parties who lived in an apartment in walking distance. Serious sleet event and they threw a sleet party. Ever hear of beer case sledding? It was more fun than a Caribbean vacation with the Swedish bikini team.
I showed up and they were out of beer. What to do, what to do. Liquor store was about 1/2 mile away. Trudged over there through the grass since the roads were unwalkable. On the way back we were tired. 5 of us and 5 cases. We got to the top of the entrance ramp which was about 200 yards long and slicker than snot on a doorknob. I said lets ride em down. The hoots and hollers on the way down caught the attention of some young ladies in 2 apartments. Next thing we know they joined us. Hard work walking up frozen grass next to the ramp. Each of us having to carry the case up again and again, but being male and it having become couples sledding... Lets just say the evening ended spectacularly for all of us. One couple actually got married.
One time. Took the next 2 days off. I deserved it.
Do they still play the bar crawl where you go from tavern to tavern on your snowmobile? And try not to clothesline yourself on a “bobwire” fence at 60 mph?
Plowed the driveway? Where is the place, Hawaii ?
Dunno. There's a Devon in England.
That’s a pretty serious tractor, compared to the H Farmall I grew up on.
Devon, UK. Blizzard conditions and ice were a bigger problem than just snow.
Devon is a nice area....visited friends there mucho moons ago.
I spun a tractor larger than that around
with a roll of hay in the back on ice last year.
Maccormic is an old farm equipment name,but didn`t know
they made tractors.Europe has different stuff,some I like.
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