A MOVING awards ceremony has celebrated some of the best nursing care in north Hampshire.

The first-ever Director of Nursing Awards saw scores of nursing and medical staff from Basingstoke hospital gather together to pay tribute to outstanding care given by their colleagues.

Patients and staff nominated individuals and teams for the awards - and the ceremony, held at Milestones museum, at Basingstoke Leisure Park, heard poignant citations from the nominators of the winning candidates.

Many of the awards were handed to individuals and teams who had gone beyond the call of duty and, as the reasons for some of the nominations were recounted, tears were shed in the audience.

Kicking off the evening, Donna Green, the hospital's director of nursing, said: "We recognise that we do not always get it right - financial and time constraints make it very difficult. But tonight is about good practice that has made a real difference to patients."

Borough deputy mayor Councillor Warwick Lovegrove, leading members of the Basingstoke Deane Rotary Club and Chris Beasley, the Department of Health's chief nursing officer, were the special guests at the event.

The nursing chief told the nominees: "I want to add my congratulations to all of you. It means a great deal to put patients at the very heart of saying who the people are that have delivered the best care when they have really needed it.

"It is difficult working for the NHS at the moment - that's what happens when you work in the public sector. But I am always amazed that staff are managing to deliver fantastic services as well as innovating, and that is what I saw when I met staff here."

More than 60 nominations from patients and staff were received in the run-up to the awards ceremony.

Honours were handed out to individuals and teams. The Basingstoke Deane Rotary Club also presented a special rose bowl to the overall winner - midwife Pauline Bye.

All the nominations were reviewed by a panel consisting of hospital trust chairman Rob Donnelly, director of nursing Donna Green, non-executive director Maggie Wallace, patient representative Elizabeth Tunnah and Karen O'Hanlon, a non-clinical member of staff.

Click here for more reports and pictures from the Director of Nursing Awards, including a list of all the winners.