SURGEONS, nurses and hospital cleaners are among staff being celebrated at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock tonight.

The Staff Recognition Awards celebrate the tireless work of staff across Oxfordshire’s hospitals. And for the first time this year the awards include the title of Hospital Hero, a category run by the Oxford Mail.

In July, we asked readers to nominate their Hospital Heroes, which could be either an individual or a team. The other seven hospital award winners were nominated by fellow staff members.

Of about 11,000 staff across Oxfordshire at the Churchill Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and the Horton General in Banbury, nine were shortlisted from those picked by members of the public. The other gold, silver and bronze prizes are awards for compassion, excellence, improvement to service, leadership, partnership, volunteering and teamwork.

The Oxford Mail Hospital Heroes awards were created to help mark this year’s 65th anniversary of the NHS and celebrate the staff that make such a difference to the lives of so many people in Oxfordshire and beyond. Tonight one individual will be crowned the Oxford Mail’s Hospital Hero. We meet them here.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

  • Nurse Sarah Jackson, from the John Radcliffe Hospital’s plastic surgery department.
     

The 38-year-old mum of twins Charlie and Tom, six, has been nursing for 15 years. She is a specialist nurse practitioner and runs the post-surgery dressing clinics.
Mrs Jackson, from Garsington, said: “I just started crying when I found out. Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before.”
She was nominated by cancer patient David Bellcourt. The 46-year-old from Abingdon named her “the best nurse on the planet”.

  • Doctor Catherine Swales from the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre’s rheumatology department.
     

Dr Swales, from Botley, is an honorary consultant and senior fellow on the clinical trials unit working with patients diagnosed with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. She said: “I couldn’t believe it when I was told. Just to be nominated was amazing, but to be shortlisted – I’m thrilled.”
She was nominated by Anne-Marie Roots-Petty, of Lincoln Gardens, Didcot. The 35-year-old has been her patient since she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 18.

  • Heart doctor Tim Betts from the John Radcliffe Hospital.

The consultant, from Beckley, fundraises tirelessly for the hospital and was nominated by patient Carl Portman. Mr Portman, 49, from Hanwell, near Banbury, was potentially saved by him after an operation to implant a Cardioverter Device in his heart to act as pacemaker and defibrillator in one.
Dr Betts said: “I think I should be nominating my nominator, rather than being the nominee. I'm very honoured to be chosen to be a finalist.”

  • Children’s disability nurse Rowena Pearce from the Oxford Children’s Hospital.
     

The advanced nurse practitioner who lives near Wantage said she felt humbled to be shortlisted.
The 53-year-old mum-of-two said: “I am sure there are a lot of people who are just as worthy.”
She was nominated by three mums whose babies were born with Down’s syndrome. Didcot mum Nina Lawson, 30, said: “"Rowena was just brilliant. She would always come to see us in hospital.