WILTSHIRE health chiefs have paid tribute to the stalwart band of business people, emergency services personnel and local authority officers who kept the NHS on the road during the recent fuel crisis.

Some 36 garage owners, police officers, health professionals and others were invited to a special award ceremony at Southgate House, Wiltshire Health Authority's Devizes headquarters, last Thursday.

Jeremy Hallett, the authority's chief executive, told the gathering in the boardroom: "The situation was looking extremely serious. Then people started to ring in and make tremendous offers of help.

"We got through the week with a minimum of disruption because everyone pulled together to keep services going and support people in vulnerable situations."

Mary Monnington, director of nursing at Salisbury District Hospital, said: "It was amazing how NHS staff and members of the community pulled together.

"Some of our volunteers cycled in while others brought staff and even patients in their cars."

Assistant Chief Constable of Wiltshire, Stephen Long, described the first meeting of the Major Incident Co-ordinating Group, the inter-authority think tank that set up Gold Control at police headquarters, where it was questioned if the fuel crisis counted as a major incident.

He said: "We agreed it was a major situation which affected many more people than a plane crash or train derailment. It was apparent at an early stage that there would be far-reaching consequences on things we normally take for granted.

"We examined the potential for public order problems when drivers couldn't get the fuel they wanted, but we have heard numerous stories of the public being turned away and accepting it without a single qualm."

This was borne out by those at the sharp end of the crisis, the staff of the filling stations that had agreed to give priority to NHS professionals doctors, nurses and health visitors.

Jess Jefferies, supervisor of Roundway Service Station in Devizes, said: "It is nice to think that we are being rewarded for doing what we would have done anyway, even if we hadn't been asked."

Jean Cooper, supervisor of Malmesbury Road Service Station in Chippenham agreed: "The public were amazing.

"It was just like the Blitz must have been. People just wanted to help one another."

Steve Botham of Devizes, the vehicle fleet manager at police headquarters, put in a lot of extra hours trying to stretch Wiltshire Constabulary's fuel supplies at its depots in Salisbury, Devizes and Swindon to keep ambulances and doctors on the road as well as their own vehicles.

But he said: "It was exciting. We were on our own as a county and making sure there was enough fuel to go round was a big responsibility."

All the doctors in Salisbury were kept on the road by fuel from the police fuel stocks.

Everyone was brought into the struggle to keep health services healthy, including the dairy run by Stuart Plank and his family from Poulshot near Devizes.

He said: "We have never in our lives let anyone down so when we were asked to supply Green Lane Hospital with milk when their supplier couldn't get through we were only too pleased to do it.

"I was quite shocked when I heard we were to get an award. I can't think anyone would have left the health service to founder."

Anthea Willett, chairman of Wiltshire Health Authority, presented certificates of thanks to 36 local organisations including Bath Road service station, Chippenham; Hullavington Garage; Malmesbury Road service station, Chippenham; Q8 service station, Pewsey; Roundway service station, Devizes; Safeway service station, Chippenham; and Plank's Dairy, Poulshot.