A HELPFUL maintenance man, an inspiring leader and a down-to-earth consultant were among the “brilliant” staff to be recognised at the annual award ceremony for East Lancashire’s hospitals.

The glitzy “Star Awards” event was held at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel in Clayton-le-Moors on Friday evening, after more than 300 nominations were received.

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East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals, has been heavily criticised by NHS inspectors and politicians in recent years, but significant improvements have been made in the last year to 18 months.

The key areas of progress, such as emergency department waiting times, mortality rates, staff numbers and complaints handling, have been heavily monitored, scrutinised and highlighted, but the awards offered an opportunity to recognise staff whose efforts have been less celebrated.

After the awards, there was live music from covers band Bill Ding and the Skyscrapers.

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Kevin McGee, chief executive of the hospitals trust, praised staff at the awards ceremony.

He said: “These guys work incredibly hard and in very difficult and pressured situations at times, so it’s great to celebrate what they do and how they do it. I don’t think they recognise just how good they are.

“They are literally dealing with some of the most difficult situations you can imagine and they don’t always realise just what they do and how they do it.

“Once a year, just to be able to recognise that and to support staff and say well done is really important.

“This is only the second year we have done it in this format.

“Last year we had 120 guests and this year we have 320, and some of the stories we heard are brilliant.

“We have some brilliant people here in East Lancashire and we are proud of them.”

There were three short-listed nominees under each category, who each met a panel of external judges and had to talk about their work and achievements.

Among the winners were maintenance man Dino Calamela, 56, from Burnley, who was named employee of the year after going out of his way to help a distressed mother visiting Burnley General.

He attempted to fix her broken pram and then ensured that she had enough money in order to get home safely.

The mother later returned full of praise for Dino’s friendliness and kindness.

The “inspirational” Catherine Vozzolo, directorate manager for children’s services, based at Burnley General, was named non-clinical worker of the year.

The 37-year-old from Burnley is well-known and respected across the organisation, as someone who is dedicated and passionate about her service.

The judges said her feedback to staff and patients was honest, constructive and diplomatic, and she fostered excellent multi-disciplinary working relationships, internally and externally.

Debra Berresford, 50, a healthcare assistant who “brightens patients’ mood” at Pendle Community Hospital, scooped the unsung hero award.

Judges described the Darwen resident as a “mother hen” for cadets and new starters, who goes above and beyond her job title, particularly where patients have no family to care for needs such as washing and things they need.

Ruth Smith, from Nelson, an obstetrics and gynaecology consultant at Royal Blackburn, was chosen as the trust’s rising star.

Lynn Hackett, 47, a receptionist at Royal Blackburn Hospital, won the Ellie award but was unable to attend. The people who nominated her said she was helpful, always wore a smile and was a ‘huge asset’ to the hospital.