The recent spell of widespread snow and ice affecting East Sussex has thrown up countless examples of NHS staff and others going the extra mile to make sure that local people got the care and support they needed.
Staff at local hospitals, including the Eastbourne DGH and the Conquest in Hastings, braved the arctic conditions to make it into work, whether they were supposed to be on duty or not.
Often they were helped by local volunteers who provided transport in their four by four all-terrain vehicles.
Crews and support staff from South East Coast Ambulance Service battled atrocious road conditions around the clock to ensure that emergency call-outs were dealt with as quickly as possible.
Across the county community nursing staff, many giving up their days off, made it through all the snow and ice so that home visits to patients went ahead.
Dozens of staff, including one in Hastings who covered ten miles in a day, walked to people's homes to make sure they were warm and had had food.
Others were given a helping hand by the County Council's Park Rangers, members of the public and even their own families, who offered a chauffeur service in their four by fours.
Every one of East Sussex's 78 GP practices remained open for business, with the Old School Surgery in Seaford having to contend with no central heating, two power cuts and their phone lines going down, as well as the snow and ice.
Across the area GPs pulled out all the stops to ensure that home visits continued despite the treacherous conditions on the road.
Mike Wood, Chief Executive of NHS East Sussex Downs and Weald and NHS Hastings and Rother, said:
"I would like to thank everyone, both NHS staff and others, for their fantastic efforts over the past week or so.
It really shows the determination, tenacity and spirit of everybody who has contributed to keeping the NHS going in the face of the appalling weather.
There are many, many stories that have come to light of people going beyond the call of duty and I am sure there lots more unsung heroes which we have not heard about.
A massive thank you to one and all.
By doing their bit, everyone who has overcome the snow and ice to help make sure the local NHS carries on as normally as possible has helped local people, many of them vulnerable, to get the care and treatment they need ,and very often rely on."
