HOSPITAL staff who have gone the extra mile were recognised with a special evening to celebrate their hard work.

Almost 200 staff from Basingstoke, Winchester and Andover hospitals enjoyed the WOW! Awards, which are held every few months for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust staff.

Recipients of the awards are chosen from hundreds of nominations, which are made by colleagues, patients or visitors throughout the year.

Winners are selected by the trust’s public governors.

Donna Green, deputy chief executive of HHFT, said at the ceremony, held in Theatre Royal, in Winchester: “I read all of the nominations every month and I’m always touched by what I read.

“Often our staff who win an award are surprised because they don’t think they are doing anything remarkable, but they do some amazing things and it makes me feel extremely proud and privileged to work here.”

A number of special awards were presented during the evening, with winners chosen by senior doctors and directors from each division, local rotary organisations and HHFT chairman Elizabeth Padmore.

Haematology specialist Dr Tamara Everington was the special speaker at the event, and the mayors of Basingstoke and Deane and Winchester were among the guests.

Mrs Padmore closed the evening with the presentation of special awards for those staff she felt best represented the trust’s values of compassion, accountability, respect and encouragement.

The winner was staff nurse Claire Miller, who specialises in treating fractures while porter Brian Morgan and nurse Francesca Dodd were highly recommended.