Dr Mary McCarthy: Snow brings out the best in people

One of the lowest temperatures recorded in the UK was in Shawbury where the helicopter base was able to use their equipment to record this data and issue the results.

Many people have been snowbound in Shropshire – with the snow piling up outside people’s homes, even getting out of the front door has been difficult and the roads have been treacherous.

It comes as no surprise that schools were closed but people were less prepared for the impact the snow may have had on other services in the area.

At my surgery everyone managed to get in largely due to the dedication of colleagues who stayed at the surgery over the weekend to make sure that the car park was clear of snow on Monday morning. For those that did make it in on Monday, services were more or less running as normal.

Some of the hospital services however, such as phlebotomy, the sessions for taking blood for laboratory tests, were cancelled as staff were unable to make it to the hospital.

Issues with transport also meant that blood samples which would ordinarily be collected from hospitals were not able to collected.

There was a similar story at the local post office which was piled high with sacks that the post office vans had not managed to collect. The post man told me that they had been ordered not to go out until the roads and pavements were safer. Though these precautions sometimes seem over the top, they are often necessary as accidents are much more likely to occur in these hazardous conditions.

One of the advantages of general practitioners is being independent contractors to the NHS.

We can make our own decisions about how we run our surgeries and have more flexibility, such as being able to keep our services open in these weather conditions.

Every single member of staff managed to get to work and thanks to the energetic work of a practice nurse and doctor over the weekend, we kept the surgery clear and ready for Monday morning. Sometimes the worst of times brings out the best in people.

This is the time of year to watch out for those who are most vulnerable in society, particularly the homeless and older people.

Tens of thousands of older people die needlessly each year because of the cold. Cold temperatures raise blood pressure which puts people are greater risk of heart attacks and strokes. It also increases the likelihood and severity of chest infections and the flu.

Around this time, it is heart-warming to see the extra efforts of the community in helping others; people donating food and clothes and helping at homeless shelters and at care homes.

There is always more that can be done, but something as simple as checking in on an elderly neighbour in the snow can have a wonderful impact.

* Dr Mary McCarthy has worked at Belvidere Surgery in Shrewsbury for more than 20 years. She is chairman of the local medical committee and represents Shropshire, North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire on the General Practitioners Committee of the BMA.