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Health Trust staff praised for ‘commitment and tenacity’ during Storm Éowyn

Writer's picture: Love BallymenaLove Ballymena
Northern Trust health and care staff

The Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has praised the “commitment and tenacity” of staff who ensured critical services were maintained during Storm Éowyn.

 

“It’s a cliché to say staff went above and beyond, but there’s really no other way of describing it,” said Chief Executive Jennifer Welsh.

 

“Over the weekend, I’ve heard so many stories about teams across our Trust who pulled out all the stops to ensure the needs of our community were met, during the storm and in its aftermath, working round the clock - and, if they weren’t able to provide a solution, they tracked down someone who could.”



As teams across the Trust regrouped on Monday morning following a busy weekend, stories have emerged of staff, quite literally, going the extra mile for their community, during what meteorologists have described as a “once in a generation” weather event.

 

From sleeping overnight in hospitals, to working longer shifts to cover colleagues whose route was blocked by fallen trees, staff rallied round to make sure critical services were maintained.

 

Ms Welsh continued: “One thing that is coming through is the care and compassion with which our teams dealt with the challenges brought by Storm Éowyn, particularly out in our community.



“To give an example, our respiratory team went to extraordinary lengths to ensure an oxygen supply was reinstated for a patient having end of life care in the community, when the storm caused a power outage.

 

“This allowed this person to have a peaceful, dignified death surrounded by their loved ones and the gratitude of the family was very evident.

 

“Another member of staff from our Estates team who was out installing a mobile generator for a vulnerable service user, even went as far as going to the local shop to fill a hot water bottle for them.

 

“These are just a couple of examples of the lengths our staff went to and the caring, compassionate way they do their job, each and every day.”



Ms Welsh said there had also been stories of district nurses scaling fallen trees to beat a path to their patients.

 

“I want to give a special mention to our district nurses and home care staff, including those from the independent sector, who play such a vital role in our community, delivering care for some of our most vulnerable residents,” she added.

 

“While the advice for the public was to stay at home, our staff were out on the road, as usual, ensuring critical care was provided, and I am deeply grateful to them for their commitment and tenacity in navigating such challenging weather conditions.

 

“They are a credit, not just to the Northern Trust, but to our wider community and I am really proud to have them on our team.”



Ms Welsh also praised the “enormous efforts” of the Trust’s Estates team who provided round the clock support to teams, responding to issues with power outages and storm damage.

 

Due to the storm, some Trust facilities, including Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital, had to temporarily switch to generators when the power supply was interrupted on Friday, during the storm’s peak.

 

The Trust’s Emergency Planning Team has been supporting the organisation’s response and assisting with the coordination of the regional multi-agency response to the impact of Storm Éowyn on health and social care services.



Gillian Traub, Northern Trust Director of Operations, said:


“Colleagues worked throughout Friday and over the weekend to ensure critical services were maintained and restored to some of our most vulnerable residents, working with NIE, local councils and community partners.

 

“Our response is ongoing as we continue to monitor the emerging needs of our service users while NIE works to restore the network in its entirety. Given the significant disruption caused by Storm Éowyn, challenges remain for the delivery of health and social care services, but we will continue to work with colleagues across the region to ensure a joined-up, multi-agency response to support our local community.”

 

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