EXCEPTIONAL hospital staff have been praised for their hard work and commitment at an awards ceremony.

Dozens of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) staff, who work at Basingstoke, Winchester and Andover hospitals, won WOW! awards between May and October last year.

The 81 winners were invited to a special buffet lunch at The Ark Conference Centre, at Basingstoke hospital, to recognise their achievements.

The awards are handed to those who have gone above and beyond in their roles, and give patients and colleagues the opportunity to thank outstanding hospital staff. The winners were chosen from more than 800 nominations.

Donna Green, deputy chief executive and chief nurse of HHFT, said: “I am so proud that so many of our staff, who do amazing things each and every day, are recognised in this way.

“One of the most pleasurable parts of my job is reading the nominations, and hearing that we are getting things right for our patients and their families in so many areas.

“We now receive, on average, 140 nominations each month, and it’s difficult for the judges to choose the winners.”

The winners are chosen by the trust’s Council of Governors. Governors were among those invited to the lunch, along with Basingstoke and Deane Mayor Councillor Roger Gardiner and his Mayoress wife Tricia Gardiner.

Among the winners were the anaesthetics team, who work in Basingstoke and Winchester.

Anesthetics doctor Prachi Keluskar said: “As a team, we have been covering gaps in the rota, working a lot of weekend and night shifts to keep our service safe.

“I see it as just one of those things that has to be done, but it has been difficult, so it is nice to get recognised for going the extra mile.”

The team from the Intensive Care Unit at Basingstoke hospital were nominated after working with a patient who was critically ill with streptococcal pneumonia, and they were praised for showing “care, support and dignity at all times”.

ICU matron Nikki Brockie said: “I am exceptionally proud of the team.

“We have received a number of nominations, and I think this reflects how well we work as a team, and the compassion we show to our patients and their families in what are often very difficult times.”