THE team from a care home in York have sung the praises of a GP practice, calling their local surgery a "lifeline" during the pandemic.

The care team at Ebor Court, which is operated by Ideal Care Homes, said they never felt on their own throughout the pandemic and knew that support was only a phone call away thanks to The Old Forge Surgery.

Susie Carman, lifestyle manager at the Nether Poppleton home, was proud to be amongst the first in the country to receive Covid vaccinations.

Susie and Ebor Court care manager, Sharon Conarty, presented the team at the GP practice, which is based in Upper Poppleton, with a hamper to say thank you.

Sharon said: "We want to say a big thank you to Dr James, Dr Jennings, Dr Anderton, nurse Kirsty McArdle and all of the surgery staff for their help and hard work over the last couple of years. The surgery has been a huge life line for Ebor Court care home during the pandemic.

"The dedication and professionalism of the team at The Old Forge helped to lighten our workload, at a time when we knew they were also very stretched."

Andrea Lonsdale, receptionist at The Old Forge, said it was lovely for their work to be appreciated in this way.

She said: "The past couple of years have been challenging for us, and for so many other practices.

"I thought the hamper was a wonderful gesture. It was beautifully presented and we all enjoyed it very much."

Meanwhile, Angela Mueller, deputy manager, Ebor Court, said that the surgery has been fantastic in offering support to the home during the Covid pandemic.

She said: "During the first lockdown when there was a lot of uncertainty around the pandemic, our residents always felt that there was someone there to help with any questions and to provide reassurance, even though they could not see a doctor or nurse in person.

"During the height of the pandemic when the home was closed, they made themselves completely available to us.

"We would normally have had a weekly face-to-face surgery with a doctor here at Ebor Court. But we soon found that video call consultations also worked very well for residents

"If there were any other issues we had at any other time all we had to do was call.

"This has continued throughout. We know how very busy they have been and their hard work has been very much appreciated."

Ebor Court is a purpose built luxury residential and dementia care home operated by Ideal Carehomes. With 64 ensuite bedrooms, it has landscaped gardens and a full and varied activities programme. It is rated 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).