Mountain Rescue help district nurses reach patients

Coniston Mountain Rescue Team came to the aid of district nurses this month to help them through heavy snow and ice to reach patients who needed essential visits.

Earlier this month one patient required a time critical injection and another patient needed an insulin injection before lunch. However the snow and ice made it impossible for the District Nurses from Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to reach the patients by car.

Jackie Clough was one of the District Nurses working that day. She said: “The Coniston Mountain Rescue Team were absolutely fantastic. I drove as far as I could and they took me the rest of the way, and picked me up again after the visits. The roads were very dangerous and the visibility was poor – there was no way to get there by car.
The Mountain Rescue Team was friendly and very well organised. We really appreciate the help they gave us to do our job, and they showed wonderful community spirit.”

The Coniston Mountain Rescue Team consists solely of local volunteers and is entirely funded by local donations. Mountain rescue is a service which is usually called upon by the police in situations where an ambulance cannot reach injured persons or to help search for missing people.

Roy Lake from the Coniston Mountain Rescue Team was on call that day. He said: “We are happy to help in situations like this anytime. It was a great change for us, to be able to directly help our local community. Often we are called to help visitors to the area, so it was rewarding to be able to directly support local people.”