A ‘GLAMOROUS’ awards ceremony has celebrated the hard work of hospital staff.

The care, compassion and dedication of NHS staff from across the area was recognised at East Lancashire Hospitals Trust’s STAR awards on Friday (April 27).

Fifteen awards were presented to teams and individuals from across the trust who go above and beyond to provide excellent healthcare to people in East Lancashire.

The awards ceremony took place at the luxurious Mercure Dunkenhalgh Hotel in Clayton-le-Moors.

Kevin McGee, chief executive at the trust, congratulated staff.

He said: “Congratulations to the winners and the 300-plus staff who were shortlisted and nominated for this year’s STAR Awards," said Mr McGhee.

“I believe the huge number of nominations from both patients and colleagues truly reflects the outstanding efforts of our exceptional staff to provide the best possible quality of care to patients.”

“Our STAR Awards are an incredible opportunity to celebrate and recognise the high-quality standard of care that staff deliver to so many patients across East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen,” Mr McGhee added.

Following an extensive selection process, 329 nominations were whittled down by a panel of independent judges to the final shortlist.

Winners of the STAR awards included: Clinical Worker of the Year and Patient Choice Award winner - Jennifer Wadsworth, advanced nurse practitioner in hepatology.

Outstanding Achievement Award - Sue Henry, baby-friendly team leader

Employee of the Year - Performance and Informatics (IT team)

Role Model of the Year - Sister Hayley Houldsworth, Ward C9

Clinical Team of the Year - Hepatitis C Team

The trust thanked the generosity of its award sponsors Consort Healthcare, Mercure Hotels, Allocate, D&G Builders, EMPARK, One Partnership, NHS Innovation Agency, Blackburn College, Liaison, Careers Global, Nelson and Colne College, LAK Agency, Tusker, Vinci Construction and ID Medical Group.