AS the NHS celebrates its 65th birthday today, the Oxford Mail and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust have teamed up to find your hospital heroes.

The Oxford Mail Hospital Heroes awards launch today to recognise the work of staff across Oxfordshire’s NHS hospitals over more than six decades.

Dedicated hospital teams have played an important and unforgettable part in the lives of families across the county.

Now we want you to nominate the nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants, porters, hospital doctors or consultants at the John Radcliffe, Churchill and Horton hospitals and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre who have helped you or a loved one when you needed them most.

It could be the nurse who brightened your days during a stay on a ward, the midwife who helped you through a difficult birth or the trauma team that saved your life after an accident. Or it could even be one of those non-medical staff members who work tirelessly, and sometimes unnoticed, in the background. There is also an award for an NHS team you may have had encountered.

OUH trust chief executive Sir Jonathan Michael said: “Our hospitals are part of the fabric of Oxfordshire life. Thousands of babies are born here each year and hundreds of thousands of people will be treated for illness and injury.

“Our 11,000 strong staff work tirelessly across our four hospitals to deliver the highest quality care. They carry out their work with compassion, often in hugely challenging circumstances.

“This continues around the clock, 365 days a year. Their dedication is an inspiration.

“These awards allow our patients and the communities we serve to say thank you to those individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. We are delighted to join with the Oxford Mail to help find our Hospital Heroes.”

Oxford Mail deputy editor Sara Taylor said: “From hard-working porters, dedicated nurses and skilled surgeons, hospital staff give their time, energy and expertise to patients and families across Oxfordshire.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have the hospitals we do.

“So we are delighted to be launching the Oxford Mail Hospital Heroes awards to raise awareness of the amazing staff.

“We look forward to hearing your stories of the brilliant work the staff do and have done for you.”

Only staff employed by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust are eligible for the award. The deadline for nominations is September 30. We will feature shortlisted nominations in the Oxford Mail in the autumn.

The awards winners will be announced as part of the Oxford University Hospitals’ annual staff awards in November.