NHS renal nurse walks through snow to save patient's life

Renal nurse Debbie Noble, from Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, did the nine mile round trip from her home to treat the patient on Monday 2 February.

Patient Steph Crawford has chronic renal failure and needs dialysis at least three times a week. She was stuck at home with a dialysis machine that was only partially working.

Ms Noble walked from her house in Ashtead to Ms Crawford’s house in Ewell and began the life-saving dialysis at home with telephone support from colleagues at the hospital.

Ms Crawford said: ‘I got up at my normal time to go to dialysis, but when I stepped out of the door, the snow was up to my knees. I tried to drive, but at the end of my road I got completely stuck. I really began panicking then - I couldn’t get to hospital and didn’t think an ambulance would be able to get to me. I thought I would need an air ambulance.

‘I spoke to Debbie and she just told me to get ready because she was coming over. When I told her it would be impossible because of the icy weather, she simply said “No, I’m walking.”’

• Related article on nursingtimes.net: NHS at breaking point as more than 1.5m patients attend A&E in one month.

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