SWINDON’S top doc has thanked hospital staff for battling through the snow to help patients.

Guy Rooney, medical director at the Great Western Hospital, said it was “all hands on deck” when he posted his thanks on Twitter yesterday – and asked others to help out.

He said yesterday morning: “The snow today is having a big impact on the work [of GWH]. Can I thank staff who have struggled in?

“For those who live near can you check if you are needed, or offer a bed tonight for those who can’t get home. All hands on deck.”

An hour after his first posting, Dr Rooney added: “Urgent call to staff @GWH_NHS. Nurse staffing is a real issue tonight. If you can, check your Facebook pages and contact your wards to help.”

Wessex 4x4 Response, a volunteer group of 4x4 owners who help emergency services during periods of extreme weather, said that they had helped medical staff get to the Great Western Hospital on Sunday.

However, the poor weather did not seem to dent the enthusiasm of nurses on the hospital’s acute medical unit.

A matron on the unit tweeted: “AMU team making it to work through the snow…Who you gonna call? Snowbusters.”

A spokesman for the Great Western Hospital said: “Although plans are in place to ensure GWH can provide as normal a service as possible during times of adverse weather, this weekend’s snow did cause problems for our staff, especially those travelling from outside of Swindon.

“However, many of our dedicated teams braved the elements with staff offering lifts, transportation and even beds for the night to colleagues whose journey to or from work had been affected.

“During any cold spell, we inevitably see a rise in people who have suffered weather-related injuries and we ask local people to bear this in mind when thinking about coming to hospital, and to consider using one of the many other healthcare options in Swindon first.”