Nurses and healthcare staff are urgently needed to help out at two Welsh hospitals because of the bad weather.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has appealed for any qualified nurses and healthcare staff who can help as other struggle to get to work in the snow.
Meanwhile a claim has been made that stranded nurses in Wales were charged up to £30 to stay overnight in hospital student accommodation during Storm Emma.
It comes as yellow weather warnings remain in place across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, threatening to leave ‘death trap’ patches of ice on roads up and down the country.
Nurses at Nevill Hall hospital in in Abergavenny worked a 12-hour shift and then stayed overnight at the hospital – where they were not charged accommodation expenses – to look after victims of the big freeze
Critics say that it is completely wrong for nurses to be charged when they have worked so hard to help out during the big freeze
Shop fronts blocked by snow drifts in Brynmawr, South Wales, illustrated just how badly the big freeze affected Wales
Leighton Jenkins, head of policy for the Welsh Confederation of British Industry exposed the ‘snow storm’ charge on his Twitter account
The south of Wales was one of the worst hit snow storm areas of Britain with most roads impassable
The University Hospital Of Wales in Cardiff is one of the hospital affected by the shortage of nurses
Hospitals in Wales have been especially stretched by the recent spell of bad weather, which brought the south of the country to a standstill
A total of 53 flood alerts have been issued nationwide, with 14 out of 15 located in the south west of England as Devon and Cornwall prepare for excess rain, melting snow and high winds.
Around 2,000 families in Devon and Cornwall are without power, with hundreds of others suffering power cuts in mid Wales and East Yorkshire.
Now, health chiefs are investigating the allegations against an unnamed Welsh Health Board after they were revealed by an outraged business chief.
The NHS is devolved and run by the Welsh assembly government.
Welsh health boards on Saturday said the claims that nurses were charged to stay in student accommodation during Storm Emma were not true.
A total of four Welsh health boards – Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, Cardiff and Vale, Cwm Taf and Hywel Dda – have all responded to the allegations on social media, rejecting the claim, a Wales Online report said.
In a statement Cwm Taf University said: ‘Overnight there have been some claims that some NHS staff are being charged for accommodation if they need to stay overnight because of severe weather.
‘We are immensely grateful to all our staff for their dedication to patients in this weather and we would like to make it clear that we are NOT charging any of our staff for accommodation.
‘If they have been asked for any payment this is totally unacceptable and they should contact their site manager immediately. In the event any staff have had to pay they will be reimbursed in full.’
Nurses and healthcare staff are urgently needed to help out at two Welsh hospitals because of the bad weather, reports say
The Aneurin Bevan University Health Board also posted a message online that read: ‘Just to be clear, we are NOT charging any of our staff for accommodation.
‘We are also providing meal vouchers for our staff who have needed to stay in work. If anyone has been asked to make any payment they are asked to contact their site manager immediately.
‘We are grateful to all our dedicated staff who are going the extra mile to provide first class care.’
Tina Donnelly, head of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, said any storm charge was ‘abhorrent’ – after staff walked up to 10 miles to reach hospital.
The claim was made against an unnamed Welsh health board on social media.
Leighton Jenkins, head of policy for the Wales CBI (Conferation of British Industry), exposed the alleged charge on his Twitter account as thousands were stranded by heavy snow.
Mr Jenkins wrote: ‘Some Welsh hospitals are charging those nurses who volunteer to not go home the cost of sleeping in on-site student accommodation (£20-30 a night).
‘This is despite the fact they are saving the NHS the cost of sending a 4×4 to collect and return them to their homes.’
Welsh Government Health Secretary Vaughan Gething pledged to investigate – and praised the battling NHS staff.
He said: ‘NHS staff who have stayed overnight to try and make sure that their employer – the National Health Service – can continue to function the next day, I just don’t think that should result in a charge to any of our staff who are doing that.
Critics say any storm accommodation charge would be ‘abhorrent’ – especially after staff walked up to 10 miles to reach hospital
‘There is extraordinary public sympathy and support for our national health service as people have seen the extraordinary efforts being made to maintain a service for our most vulnerable citizens.’
The names of the hospital accused of charging nurses were not revealed but Mr Gethin said his staff were investigating.
‘I’m expecting that situation to be resolved, and for every part of the service to understand very clearly my expectation and to act in accordance with it.’ he said.
A statement made by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in relation to the nurses shortage on Saturday morning said: ‘We are appealing for nurses, in particular critical care nurses, to attend for duty at the University Hospital of Wales and University Hospital Llandough.
It is asking staff to undertake extra shifts at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and University Hospital Llandough in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Heavy snow has caused widespread disruption across parts of Wales, but people have been helping healthcare workers across the country get to work.
A snow plough is pictured desperately trying to clear grey sludge from the side of a road in Dublin, Ireland today
Stormy seas are pictured out of the River Tyne in the north east as a ferry sets off for the Netherlands this afternoon
That’s a lot of snow! A man is pictured with a gigantic snow drift near Shepton Mallet in Somerset this afternoon
Huge snow drifts are still on the ground in Somerset as cold temperatures persist across parts of the south west today
There have been lots of examples of people using 4x4s to take dozens of NHS workers to and from hospitals and doctors and nurses have been staying overnight and hospitals to make sure they don’t get stranded at home and are there for their shifts.
Speaking about the overnight accommodation charges, Vanessa Young, the director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, which represents all the Welsh health boards, said the claims needed to be examined.
‘We would want to ensure that if staff are coming in to help with the situation that we are facing at the moment, that they wouldn’t be incurring additional cost,’ she said.
‘It may be to do with the fact that they need to pay in advance and then claim it back from their health board.
‘But as I say, we need to look at the detail and deal with that.’
She praised the work of Welsh staff over the last few days, adding: ‘They really have pulled out all the stops.’
The director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, Tina Donnelly, said she wanted to hear from anyone affected by the allegations.
‘I would be keen to speak with them to address this issue – this is abhorrent,’ she said.
Aftermath of Storm Emma sees thawing snow way to black ice and fog turning roads into ‘death traps’
As rail workers fight to get tracks and tunnels in a fit state for travel, the Bishopton tunnel in Renfrewshire, Scotland is covered in impressive hanging icicles
With freezing temperatures in the Republic of Ireland, locals are forced to push a police car out of a snow drift in Dublin
Cold temperatures continue in Ireland today where snow is still falling and in thick layers on the ground. Pictured: A police 4×4 gets stuck on the streets of Dublin with locals desperately trying to push it out of trouble
Snow is still expected to fall in northern England and parts of Scotland, while in London conditions are set to improve after 11am, with highs of 5C are expected.
This weekend rail operators are desperately battling to repair trains damaged in severe weather after swathes of the UK were battered by snow and storms and hundreds of services were cancelled.
Train bosses are treading with extreme caution, with no Southeastern trains in or out of London after 10.26pm tonight.
- Devon and Cornwall are bracing themselves for floods with winds of up to 50mph also expected in south west
- A total of 53 flood alerts have been issued including one for the Thames between Putney and Teddington
- Around 2,000 homes are without power in Devon and Cornwall, plus 400 in Wales and 500 in East Yorkshire
- Trains to Scotland have finally resumed but will only run until 9pm, Southeastern trains are stopping at 10.30
- An elderly couple, 70 and 71, had to be rescued from their snowed-in farmhouse by police in Edinburgh
- Marines came together to help a lorry stuck in a mountain of snow at services on the M4 in South Wales
- A 49-year-old man was arrested for a public order offence after assaulting paramedic treating patient in snow
Virgin has resumed their services north of Newcastle but passengers will only be able to get on trains to Scotland until 9pm, with carriages extremely busy.
The RAC has urged people not to drive unless absolutely necessary, after the M62 was closed for more than a day leaving thousands of motorists stranded in their cars.
After the coldest start to March on record – which left hundreds stranded on the roads and disruption across the UK’s travel network – more cold temperatures, snow and ice is set to cause more issues.
Snow is still falling thick and fast in parts of Dublin, Ireland today. Northern Ireland has a yellow weather warning for ice
Similar problems have ensued in Princetown, Devon where a delivery lorry got stuck today. The region faces floods today
Snow is still causing problems in Princetown, Devon where mountains of white still line the streets but could turn to water and flood later on today with warnings for most of the south west
Gigantic icicles have been pictured across north east England, with fire services called to York City Centre this afternoon to remove ‘potentially dangerous’ ones.
Over 2,000 homes across the UK are without power, with 400 in the dark in mid-Wales and 500 in Aldbrough, East Yorkshire.
The A640 in Denshaw is still closed as the result of severe weather along with the A46 in Lincolnshire and A66 in North Yorkshire. All other road closures have been lifted.
The rail network is still battling to recover from treacherous weather conditions this week, with many services suspended or cancelled this weekend.
Which routes are still affected by the severe weather?
Train services and flights have been affected by the extreme weather as well as some roads remaining impassible. Pictured: A train runs through icy conditions from High Wycombe to London
Commuters are facing another day of disruption as the weather continues to cripple the UK and Ireland’s travel networks.
Some roads remain impassable and have been closed. Train services and flights have also been affected. Here are some of the latest reported issues:
Roads
A46 is expected to be closed most of the day
A66 will also most likely remain closed for the rest of today
Trains
Arriva Trains Wales: They are advising passengers not to travel as most trains are cancelled, especially on their south Wales routes. Trains currently running on a limited service are:
Crewe – Shrewsbury
Crewe – Chester
Crewe – Manchester
Chester – Holyhead
Swansea- Carmarthen
Aberystwyth – Shrewsbury (not calling at Borth)
Wrexham – Bidston
Cardiff Central – Pontypridd
Chiltern Railyways: Trains are subject to short notice cancellations and all lines are blocked between Hatton and Stratford-upon-Avon. Due to a snow drift the network is unable to call at Claverdon, Bearly, Wilmcote, Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway and Stratford-upon-Avon.
CrossCountry: There are no services for Scotland and a shuttle service is operating between Bournemouth and Reading. Southampton to Birmingham services will also not run and neither will Manchester to Bristol trains.
The Plymouth to Edinburgh/Glasglow CrossCountry service will run only between Newcastle and Birmingham New Street, while the Nottingham to Cardiff train will start at Birmingham New Street.
There will be no service to and from Guildford until 10 March due to a points failure.
East Midlands Trains: The Sheffield – London St Pancras route will have four trains run per hour rather than five, with the 26 minutes past train from London being cancelled every hour, and the 49 minutes from Sheffield being cancelled.
No trains will run between Grantham and Skegness. There is currently no replacement bus service. East Midlands Trains are trying to source this but due to road conditions it is proving difficult. Trains will also be unable to run any of their trains between Lincoln Central and Grimsby Town.
Grand central: The 12:06 Peterborough to Sunderland service will be cancelled.
Greater Anglia and Stansted Express: Norwich – London Liverpool Street intercity service will run a revised hourly service from Norwich to Ingatestone.
And the following rural lines will remain closed:
Norwich – Sheringham
Norwich – Great Yarmouth
Norwich – Lowestoft
Ipswich – Lowestoft
Great Western Railway: Trains which usually call at intermediate stations between Newbury and Bedwyn are unable to call at these stations. There will also be no trains between Oxford and Hereford.
Heavy snow and a points problem at Wokingham means no Great Western Railway trains can run between Reading and Gatwick Airport today or tomorrow. On Monday, it is anticipated that a service will be able to run between Blackwater and Gatwick Airport, although this is yet to be confirmed.
Suspended lines include:
Westbury – Weymouth
Reading – Gatwick Airport
Liskeard – Looe
Plymouth – Gunnislake
Bristol Temple Meads – Severn Beach
Oxford – Hereford
Swindon and Gloucester
Heathrow Connect: No Heathrow Connect services are able to run today due to adverse weather conditions. Trains between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport will be cancelled.
Heathrow Express: London Paddington to Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Services are departing at 10 and 40 minutes past the hour and the reverse journey will be departing at 12 and 42 minutes past the hour.
Hull Trains: Hull Trains are only running a limited shuttle service between Hull and Doncaster. There are no Hull Trains services operating between London Kings Cross and Doncaster in either direction.
London Northwestern Railway: The Abbey Line between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey is suspended all day due to heavy snow. A reduced service will run between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton.
Northern: The following lines are closed: Leeds – Morecambe/Carlisle, Hazel Grove – Buxton, Skipton – Carlisle/Morecambe, and Newcastle – Carlisle.
TransPennine Express: The Preston to Scotland route is cancelled, as well as any services to and from Yarm. The Newcastle – Liverpool Lime Street trains won’t run between Leeds and Liverpool Lime Street while the Hull – Manchester service won’t be calling between Leeds and Manchester.
West Midlands Railway: Heavy snow between Barnt Green and Redditch means that trains are unable to run between Longbridge and Redditch and the Whitlocks End – Stratford-upon-Avon, plus the Hereford – Worcester Foregate Street lines are suspended. A limited service will call between Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
Virgin Trains East Coast: All trains between Newcastle and Scotland are cancelled today.
Virgin Trains: Trains are currently unable to run between Carlisle and Scotland. The line towards Stoke-on-Trent are also currently blocked due to severe weather. Trains are being divert via Stafford.
South Western Railway: Trains between London Waterloo and Hounslow via Brentford and Richmond will not run and neither will the Exeter St Davids and London Waterloo service, along with the Southampton Central and Weymouth route.
Southeastern: There will be no service between Faversham and Dover Priory via Canterbury East or on the Medway Valley line and Sheerness line.
The following train operators are now able to run normally:
Gatwick Express
Great Northern
Island Line
London Overground
Southern
Thameslink
Major airports across the UK:
London Heathrow: Heathrow have said they will have a near full schedule today as they continue to minimise delays.
London Gatwick: Similarly Gatwick will be operating a largely normal service today with minimal delays and cancellations.
Dublin: Dublin Airport is open and operational today with the first flight landing at about 5:00am this morning. However some airlines have cancelled services today and the airport says it is best to check with your individual airline.
Edinburgh: Edinburgh Airport is open as usual but passengers are being advised to check ahead of time to ensure their flight hasn’t been cancelled or delayed.
Glasgow International: A spokesperson for this airport said: ‘We’re returning to business as usual, however, there are still some delays and a small number of cancellations. Passenger should continue to check the status of their flight with their airline or visit our website for flight information.’
Bristol: Bristol Airport is open and operational but disruption across airline networks has resulted in a backlog of delayed flights. Road conditions at and around the airport remain challenging and drivers are warned to proceed with care.
Manchester: Numerous flights to destinations in the UK such as Exeter and Dublin are cancelled and passengers are advised to check the status of their flight.
Birmingham: The runway is open & flights are arriving and departing however there are major delays to some flights and several cancellations following weather disruption.