HOSPITAL staff who have gone above and beyond the call of duty have been honoured.

A group of 37 winners was whittled down from 169 members of staff at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who were nominated for the latest round of WOW! awards.

The current round covers the period between December 2011 and March 2012 and winners were nominated by colleagues and members of the public.

At a celebratory lunch, Chief Nurse Donna Green, said: “These awards are to recognise the outstanding achievements of all of our staff and there are some really good examples of that here today.”

Since the creation of the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which covers Basingstoke, Winchester and Andover hospitals, the number of public and staff nominations received for the awards has risen from between 20 and 30 each month for Basingstoke hospital to between 40 and 50 across HHFT.

The trust’s council of governors chooses the winners, who are awarded a certificate.

Emma Loveday, who works nights on reception of the emergency department, was thrilled to be presented with a certificate at the lunch.

She was nominated by a police officer for the way she handled a difficult situation involving family members of a homeless man with mental health problems who had been admitted to Basingstoke hospital.

In her nomination, the officer praised Emma for her “resilience and perseverance”.

Emma, 37, of Preston Candover, said she was delighted to have won a WOW! award after 10 years in her job.

She said: “It can be very demanding so it is lovely to be nominated, particularly by someone from another organisation who appreciates what you are doing.”

Tracey Fernandes was nominated in the ‘above and beyond’ category for her work as a Healthcare Assistant in the Wessex Ward.

Tracey, 37, of Willoughby Way, Winklebury, won a WOW! award in February and has worked at Basingstoke hospital for five years. She said: “It is a good feeling to be nominated. It really makes you feel appreciated.”

A team who won an award jointly for their work with patients suffering from the rare cancer pseudomyxoma, were at the lunch.

Deputy sister Sally Lawler who works on the C2 ward said the team of around 25 people were thrilled to have been nominated.

Sally, 40, who lives in Basingstoke, said: “It’s nice. We all work together really well.”