Hero nurse battled through snow to deliver lifesaving dialysis at HRI - and she's sleeping there tonight

Dedicated nurse Christine Stancliffe has never let wintry weather stop her from getting to work before.

So she wasn’t going to let a little thing like being snowed in stop her from making it into Huddersfield Royal Infirmary today.

Her husband Andrew appealed to the Examiner to help get her moving from their current location at a remote campsite in Ingbirchworth, Barnsley, to Lindley.

But hospital staff have saved the day and are sending out a 4X4 to collect renal dialysis nurse Christine.

And while she may be a little later than planned for today’s 10.30am shift, she intends to spend the night at the hospital to make sure she is on hand for tomorrow’s early morning shift.

Christine, 55, said: “I’ve been a renal nurse for four-and-a-half years and I’ve always managed to get into work but this is the first time I’ve been stuck.

“I would feel bad if I couldn’t get there as I’d feel like I’d let my colleagues and the patients down.”

Christine and her husband are from Fenay Bridge but have been staying at the campsite since January as Andrew is helping out there.

She said: “We’re the only people up here at the moment!

“The snow is quite heavy and there’s some very big 4ft drifts across the road.

“We’re right at the top of the hill on a level with the windmills and there’s no way we can get out in the car.

“We need a 4X4 but there’s very few houses around here and there’s not a soul outside so there’s nobody really to help.”

As her husband appealed for help with transport Christine discovered via her hospital’s Facebook page that it was able to help.

She said: “Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust have a transport service for patients to help them get in.

“My colleague, who has been lucky because she’s managed to walk in, saw on Facebook that they are sending out a 4X4 to collect staff.

“There’s a list of people they need to collect so hopefully I will be able to get in, not for the start of my shift but it’s better late than never.”

Christine provides vital care for patients suffering from renal failure.

She and her colleagues look after the same 28 patients a day, three times a week.

Some of them will rely on the hospital’s patient transport to get there for their lifesaving treatment.

Christine added: “I actually took the day off yesterday because I thought the weather was going to be worse then!

“I don’t want to let anybody down so I’d really like to try and get in.

“There are a few nurses who have managed to get in and they would have to do a full day if I can’t get in.

“The Trust said it will put us up and I might as well spend the night so I’m there ready to start at 7am.”