HUNDREDS of nominations have been submitted for an annual awards ceremony which celebrates the work of staff and volunteers at Shropshire’s two acute hospitals.

Many of the near-500 nominations for the Values in Practice (VIP) Awards have come from patients and relatives who wanted to thank staff for the treatment they had received at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.

Simon Wright, chief executive at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), said: “We are overwhelmed by the response to this year’s Values in Practice Awards. We have never had so many nominations and I am really looking forward to reading through them.

“Every day across our hospitals, we see remarkable acts from individuals and teams, and this is our small way of saying ‘thank you’, on behalf of our patients, their loved ones and colleagues.”

This year’s Values in Practice Awards will tie in with the national celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS.

Awards will be handed out in eight categories: Patient Experience; Behind the Scenes; Rising Star; Team of the Year; Volunteer of the Year; Improvement of the Year; Inspirational Leader of the Year; Learner of the Year.

One relative wrote in to praise a member of staff in A&E, describing her as “a true angel”.

She said: “The most caring of nurses – nothing was too much trouble. A&E was very busy, but she made my husband feel he was the only patient there. Found him blankets, checked if he wanted a cup of tea and kept popping by to ease his worries.”

A patient who wanted to nominate the oncology team described them as being “dedicated to the total care of the patient. No problem is too big or too small for them to deal with.”

And another relative, nominating the orthopaedic team and fracture clinic, said: “Brilliant care of my mother-in-law after a nasty injury on holiday. Excellent after care – they are still calling monthly now.”

Another nomination came in for a member of the domestic team for the way she interacted with the nominator’s four-year-old son. She said: “She is always smiling and friendly. My son loves her loads. She really goes above and beyond for everyone.”

The awards ceremony will take place in one of the hangers at RAF Cosford on September 28.