A number of hospitals have cancelled non-urgent appointments due to the adverse weather.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Grimsby Hospital, Scunthorpe General Hospital and Goole Hospital, cancelled all elective care, including outpatient appointments.

And Medway NHS Foundation Trust in Kent has also postponed some non-urgent planned operations and outpatient appointments.

And due to heavy snowfall, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust also said it had cancelled non-urgent outpatient appointments and operations.

But urgent two-week wait appointments, radiotherapy, renal services and oncology clinics will go ahead as planned, it added.

A number of other clinics and GP appointments in other parts of the country were also affected.

Stop Smoking Clinics in Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland were cancelled “due to #SNOWMAGGEDON”, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust said.

And patient transfer systems were also affected – Ipswich Hospital’s patient transport service was prioritising patients with urgent appointments and those ready to be discharged home.

Meanwhile, many organisations urged people to let them know if they are not able to make their appointments – with a number keeping their Twitter followers up to date with the latest traffic information.

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust urged staff to go to their nearest hospital – even if it is not their usual place of work – to prevent them travelling further in the snow.

And Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, in the North East, appealed to staff in walking distance to come in. It tweeted: “We would really appreciate any extra pairs of hands today.”

Harrogate Hospital also appealed for additional staff.

Meanwhile, patients across the country were urged to inform hospitals if they were unable to make appointments.