NURSES in Prestatyn had to battle wintry conditions and tackle icy roads to visit patients during the recent cold snap.
District nurses struggled getting in and out of Prestatyn Community Hospital last Wednesday after overnight snowfall and with only limited gritting by Denbighshire County Council, side roads were left icy.
A lack of gritting has also been blamed for some of the area's town centres being left deserted.
Alma Cadd, 54, of Nursery Close, whose 79-year-old mother passed away over the weekend after suffering from Alzheimer's disease said it was disgraceful the road leading to the hospital was left ungritted.
She said: "Just gritting the main roads is not enough. My concern is that the road leading to a hospital should be gritted to make it easier for them to do their job, it is vital.
"The council should be able to cope. There should be a better plan from Denbighshire. It is disgraceful in this day and age."
Mrs Cadd, who worked as a nurse for 10 years, advised her mother's district nurse not to visit.
"This in not to the detriment of the nurses. They asked me whether I needed a visit and I felt I was ok, I could manage.
"They needed to be able to get to their cared for and were finding it very difficult."
A spokeswoman for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: "No visits were cancelled, the only visits that were rearranged were six non-urgent bloods.
"At Prestatyn Hospital, we have had incidents of parked staff cars sliding down the hill, with only the kerb stopping them. Also one of the district nurse's car was hit by a local resident’s car.
“When visiting patients, the district nurses have had to park wherever they can and then walk."
A spokeswoman for Denbighshire County Council said: "Staff have been out working every day since December 17, often 24 hour shifts.
"We have targeted priority routes including access to hospitals, particularly those that deal with acute cases. Priority has also been given to dealing with urgent welfare cases, where specific requests have been received."
In a letter to Cllr Hugh Evans, leader of Denbighshire County Council, MP Chris Ruane said he had been receiving complaints about the lack of gritting in the county and said some town centres were left deserted because people were afraid to venture out.