Marie Curie staff across Wales go extra mile in snow

Marie Curie staff across Wales have been working hard in the cold weather to ensure care continues for people living with a terminal illness, and their families. 

Both staff at the hospice and across the at home nursing service across Wales have been going the extra mile to ensure care continues as much as it can – with teams behind the scenes also working hard on shift patterns and schedules. 

On Thursday night, around half a dozen staff from the Marie Curie Cardiff and the Vale Hospice stayed on from their afternoon shifts, donning pyjamas and staying overnight at the day therapy unit. 

Meanwhile, Marie Curie Nursing Service staff have also been pulling together.   Julie Richards was out on foot on Friday morning to get to patients in Dinas Powys who were getting care from the Hospice at Home Service, while her colleague Sarah Meek headed to the hospice to help out. 

Maintenance assistant Lee Kavana shipped hospice nurses in and out of shifts in a 4x4, while in Carmarthenshire, a healthcare assistant collected other staff in her 4x4 to get them to poorly patients.  She had to wait for a tree to be moved from the road to get to staff. 

Fundraising teams across Wales, who had 86 collections for the Great Daffodil Appeal booked across Wales between Thursday and Saturday, have had to cancel a number of them. 

The Great Daffodil Appeal, which launched at the start of February in Wales and runs throughout March, sees thousands of volunteer collectors across the UK hitting the streets to hand out the charity’s iconic daffodil pins in exchange for donations. But while the appeal is usually accompanied by the first signs of spring, heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures has seen 1000 cancelled collections across the UK, which could see the charity hit by a loss of £400,000 in donations from the appeal. 

Paula Elson, Manager of the Cardiff and the Vale Hospice in Penarth, said: “While essential staff members stayed overnight at the hospice from Thursday and throughout the weekend to ensure continued care for patients.

 “All local staff from all teams who could come in did so to help, including non-essential staff who helped on the wards where there were shortages, answering the phones and making tea.” 

Helen Davies, Regional Manager for the Marie Curie Nursing Service, said: “The dedication our staff has shown is outstanding – both those out in the community, and those behind the scenes organising everyone’s shifts, and ensuring everyone is safe.” 

If you can donate to the Great Daffodil Appeal, please visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil to donate, or look out for collections later this month.