MEDICAL professionals from all over Basingstoke have been given their nominations for an award celebrating ‘health heroes’.

This year, the NHS celebrates its 70th year, and as a part of the commemoration, the NHS70 Parliamentary Awards has been set up to honour those who embody the spirit of the health service.

Each parliamentary constituency has been given a number of categories to nominate local teams and individuals providing the best care in the area in the awards.

Basingstoke’s Maria Miller MP presented her nominees with a certificate on Tuesday at the council offices in London Road.

She said: “I am delighted to put forward some outstanding nominations, including the contribution of those not just in the Basingstoke area, but across the whole country.

“The NHS has so many services, and we can use these awards to highlight the fantastic services of those that might be slightly more hidden, like the school nurses. This is a great opportunity to learn more about these services, and there were so many nominations.”

The full list of nominations is below:

n Excellence in Cancer Care Award: Breast Cancer Care/ Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT)

n Excellence in Mental Health Care Award: Venus Kan, vocational services manager at Broadmoor Hospital

n Excellence in Urgent and Emergency Care Award: Ambulatory Care Unit, HHFT

n Excellence in Primary Care Award: Mrs Sue Martin, St Michael’s Hospice

n Person-Centred Care Champion Award: Paul Hutton, St Michael’s Hospice

n The Future NHS Award: Urology Department, HHFT

n The Healthier Communities Award: Alcohol Intervention Team, HHFT

n The Care and Compassion Award: Basingstoke School Nursing Team

n The Lifetime Achievement Award: Sue Price

Richard Hindley, the from consultant urology department nominated for the Future NHS Award, said: “We are quite a research active department, and that might be why we have been nominated. We’ve been looking into new treatments for men with prostate cancer, and we as a team, are passionate about men’s health.

“It is very nice for the team to be recognised, and hopefully with the visibility of the awards, it will raise some more awareness.”

Helen Phillips, alcohol nurse practitioner, who is part of the team up for the Healthier Communities Award, said: “The team are really pleased to be recognised and that this will get the message out. While Hampshire is on a par with other counties, people may not realise the effects alcohol can have on their lives.”

Shortlisted cCandidates will be invited to a national awards on Wednesday, 4 July 2018, the day before the NHS’s 70th birthday and the winners will be announced online.