Nurses who tended all night to a sick patient when care was not available elsewhere have been praised for their dedication to patient care.

Two senior nurses went above and beyond their duty when a patient was admitted to Tavistock Hospital Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) earlier this year.

The pair were on a day shift when, just before closing time at 5:30pm, a very unwell patient came to the unit, following advice from a Tavistock GP practice.

He was quickly assessed and found to be in a critical condition with an infection and had a seriously low oxygen level in his blood.

Derriford Hospital was contacted and the nurses were advised the patient needed urgent admittance at Derriford.

However, there was a 12-16 hour wait for an ambulance and Derriford’s emergency unit was full.

Therefore, the conscientious nurses at Tavistock Hospital stayed with the patient beyond the MIU closing time and throughout the night.

The nurses took turns to monitor and ensure the patient was stable, was receiving oxygen and not deteriorating further.

It was not until the morning of the next day an ambulance arrived to take the patient to Derriford’s intensive care unit.

An anonymous Tavistock Times Gazette reader highlighted the actions of the unnamed nurses to the paper because they felt the nurses went ‘above and beyond’ on this particular occasion.

They said: “These nurses went absolutely above and beyond their role and worked a 24-hour shift to ensure the patient remained stable and received the care he needed.

“We are fortunate to have the Tavistock MIU at Tavistock Hospital, and the nurses who work there are incredible. It would be great for the local NHS trust and for these nurses to be recognised.”