A COUNCILLOR has praised York Hospital staff for the ‘fantastic’ treatment they gave her after she fell on black ice and broke her wrist in two places.

Guildhall councillor Fiona Fitzpatrick said she also wanted to warn people to be extra careful when venturing out in the current cold spell, because the ice could be invisible.

Cllr Fitzpatrick, 67, is one of 40 people treated at York Hospital last weekend after breaking bones in falls on ice.

She said she had only left her flat in Navigation Road on Saturday evening to put out some recycling on private land when she slipped on what had looked just like water but was actually black ice."I really want to warn people just how deceptive the ice can be.”

She said she landed badly on her right hand and her wrist was hurting, but she thought it might only be bruising and she might feel better by the next day.

But on Sunday it was still hurting and she rang 111, and was advised to go to A&E, and so got a taxi to the hospital to avoid burdening the overstretched ambulance service. She was worried about Covid but the taxi had been sanitised and had a screen between her and the driver.

She said there were other ice casualties there of all ages, including a three-year-old boy who had broken his leg and a man in his 30s who had fallen off his bike, and she was there from 4pm until 11pm, wearing a mask throughout.

“The hospital was fantastic,” she said. “Many of the staff were working 12 hour shifts but they were really considerate, asking if I would like a cup of tea and later on as it was getting towards 11pm whether I needed a sandwich.

“They took X-rays and found my wrist was fractured in two places, and so gave me a local anaesthetic before re-setting one of the bones, and then I went back for another X-ray to check if it was set correctly.

“I’ve since had calls from the hospital to see if I am OK and need any assistance, as I live alone, and my GP surgery, Jorvik, has been really good. I am going back in to the hospital on Thursday for another X-ray to see whether the wrist is OK or needs to be reset.”

She said she was right handed, which meant she would be unable to write for the next eight weeks while the wrist was in plaster, and she was also struggling to carry out many other simple tasks around her home, such as opening tins or jars. “My fingers are black and blue,” she said.

She said she had been able to deal with a couple of council issues raised by members of the public in her ward, but had been advised by colleagues on the authority to get some rest. “Everyone has been very supportive,” she added.