‘HEALTHCARE heroes’ have been honoured.

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust has recognised the achievements of its staff and volunteers.

The annual You’re A Star Awards saw accolades handed out across five categories.

A glittering presentation ceremony was held at the Mercure Bradford Bankfield Hotel, Bingley, in the week the NHS turned 70.

Short films highlighting the work of the nominees were shown.

And each winner received £1,000 from the event’s main backer, Bradford-based Sovereign Healthcare, to support their ongoing work.

Trust chairman, Mike Smith, paid tribute to all the professionals and volunteers who work across the organisation.

“In this the NHS’ 70th anniversary year there has never been a better time to recognise the extraordinary care our dedicated staff and volunteers deliver every day – often going above and beyond to ensure that people who use our services get the best possible care,” he said.

“The annual awards recognise these remarkable people and it’s right that we come together to pay tribute to our healthcare heroes.”

He thanked Sovereign Healthcare and other organisations for their support of the event.

Winner of the Unsung Hero Award was Ruth Wood, an occupational therapist at the care trust’s dementia assessment unit.

Colleagues said she always put patients at the heart of care.

They spoke of her ability to “make a real connection” with patients and for going “above and beyond” to ensure people’s stay in the unit was as comfortable as possible.

Ruth said: “It was wonderful to be nominated for this award and to have won – I am humbled and delighted.”

The Working Together Award went to Grainne Eloi, interim head of mental health services.

She has been working with the local authority, police and voluntary sector agencies to improve urgent and emergency mental health crisis support for vulnerable people.

The initiative has resulted in people being cared for closer to home, with no out-of-area placements over the past three years.

Grainne said she was delighted to receive the award.

“It’s a lovely acknowledgement of what we have done as a collective,” she added.

Victorious in the Non-Clinical Stars category was the estates and facilities team.

It was praised for its “can do” attitude in delivering essential support to staff throughout the trust, and for consistently providing “high-quality, responsive” services on the wards.

Paula Ottley, for the team, said: “We are thrilled to have won the award – it is outstanding recognition for the whole estates and facilities team.”

The Improving Patient Experience Award went to the specialist palliative care team.

Team members were praised for their dedication to providing “peaceful and dignified” end-of-life care for patients in the community.

Belinda Marks, who heads-up the team, said: “We all get a massive buzz from making a difference to people’s lives and you only have one chance to get it right – so this award goes out to all the patients and families that we support.”

Winner of the Innovation and Quality Award was Annette Whomack-Brown, an activity co-ordinator at Lynfield Mount Hospital in Bradford.

She was the inspiration behind the massively-successful Four Seasons Cafe at the hospital, which has led to patients and their families having a non-clinical area where they can spend quality time together.

Annette said: “It’s fantastic to be acknowledged in this way and I hope that it will inspire other people to come forward with ideas which can hopefully make a difference to the patients we care for.”

Videos of the winners and finalists at work can be viewed at bdct.nhs.uk from Monday (July 9).