Nurses praised for three-hour snow trek in Buckinghamshire

Ward sister Katie Hellon, third from right, with the team at the cardiology unit at Wycombe Hospital

Nurses who walked to work through heavy snow for up to three hours have been praised for going "above and beyond".

Katie Hellon, a ward sister at Wycombe Hospital, said staff on her cardiology unit set off before dawn to ensure they arrived in time for their shifts.

"If you don't work in healthcare you can stay at home but as we are dealing with heart attacks we have to be there," said Ms Hellon, 36.

Heavy snow across Buckinghamshire has closed schools and caused disruption.

Ms Hellon said her usual half-hour walk to work in High Wycombe had taken 90 minutes this morning, but other staff had faced walks of nearly three hours.

'So proud'

She said the response from her team at the 22-bed unit had been "incredible".

"Everyone has made the effort to get in for the sake of the patients," she said.

"We are really lucky they did because the patients are really sick, so it's about going above and beyond in these conditions."

Neil Macdonald, chief executive of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "I am so proud of our amazing staff - both at our hospitals and out in the community. Whatever the weather, they always go above and beyond to give our patients the best possible care."

Widespread snow across the south of England has prompted an amber weather warning, the second-highest alert level.

In Buckinghamshire, more than 300 schools and education centres are closed, three councils have cancelled bin collections, and Thames Valley Police has advised drivers not to travel unless essential.