A team who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic have been presented with the hospital trusts employee of the month award.

East Lancashire Hospital Trust’s microbiology team's award was presented to the team by interim chief executive Martin Hodgson.

He said: “Our colleagues in microbiology are some of the Trust’s unsung heroes. If you don’t visit the lab, you may not see them, but their hard work is clearly visible in their quick responses and reliable delivery of test results.

“Without them, our frontline clinical staff wouldn’t have the information they need to provide the highest standard of care for our patients.

“They are an integral part of our ELHT family and I am delighted to have presented this award to the team to thank them for all they have done.”

In response to the pandemic, the team implemented a new PCR laboratory and learnt how to utilise new technologies, enabling the best care by providing timely COVID test results to staff across multiple hospital sites.

The team have shown resilience whilst these rapid changes have been put in place, putting patient needs first with many staff working extra hours to ensure that care and treatment is not compromised.

The team also work on call to make sure requests are delivered promptly, making sure the right care can be provided for patients at the right time.