THE hard work and dedication of staff in north Essex hospitals is to be recognised by a new awards scheme backed by the Gazette.

The At Our Best awards will recognise outstanding commitment and achievement by staff.

Individual and team awards will be presented every three months, with the first due to be announced on December 14 and an overall annual awards ceremony due next July.

Kathy French, the hospital trust’s deputy nursing director, said: “This is a chance for colleagues, patients and the public to nominate people they feel have made outstanding contributions at our trust.

“Many people work very hard on the wards every day, deal with very stressful situations and constantly show care and compassion to people when they come into hospital.”

To nominate someone for an award, all you have to do is tell us, in 50 words or less, why the person or team deserves recognition and what qualities they have which make them truly outstanding. Nominations will be judged by a panel of trust directors, governors and staff representatives.

Mrs French said judges would particularly be looking for candidates who demonstrated the hospital’s core value, caring, communication and consistency.

Mrs French said: “They say a happy staff equals happy patients so ensuring staff feel rewarded and valued for what they do is really important.

“It’s not about someone who has done major research or big projects.

“It’s about rewarding people for being consistently good at what they do.

“If a patient has had a positive experience and thinks someone in the trust is a role model we really want to know about it.”

Martin McNeill, the Gazette’s editor-in-chief, said: “We are delighted to officially support the awards.

“It’s very important to recognise the work that is done by everyone in these two hospitals.

“The nature of news means we often report only problems, but 99 per cent of people have great hospital experiences.”

The winners will get a plaque, a certificate, a pin badge and £100 to go on equipment for their department, a team-building experience or the charity of their choice.

The closing date to nominate staff for the first round of quarterly awards is November 23. To nominate someone vist www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/at_our_best.shtml