A DEDICATED team of hospital staff who “make a world of difference to patients’’ have been honoured by Star readers.

Staff from the Sanderson Suite at St Helens Hospital, who support people undergoing same day surgery, won the St Helens Star People’s Choice Award 2024 at the first Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust staff awards held at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena.

The award, which sees Star readers nominate their NHS heroes, was presented by chief reporter, Kelsey Maxwell, former Coronation Street actress Lucy-Jo Hudson and St Helens panto star Lewis Devine.

Readers of the Star praised staff for their “dedication to always delivering the highest standards of care for patients having day-case surgery’’ adding that “nothing is too much trouble for this team who make a world of difference to so many patients each and every day’’.

Jenny Hardaker, matron, said: “Our staff are overjoyed and humbled to have received this award. To be recognised by the St Helens community is special and I am so proud of everyone who works on the unit.

“They are a special group of people who do everything they can to make sure our patients are made to feel at ease.’’

The main reception teams at St Helens and Whiston hospitals and the Children’s Community Nursing team based at St Helens Hospital were also shortlisted for the award and praised by readers for their support for local patients.

More than 1,200 members of staff gathered together, alongside a host of famous faces, to recognise the enormous difference our local NHS heroes have made to the lives of their many patients and the local community over the last year, and the hard work and commitment they continue to show every day.

Chief Executive Ann Marr OBE said: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people of St Helens and readers of the St Helens Star for their extraordinary support for our staff, especially in recent years.

“We are delighted that once again patients and their families have had the opportunity to recognise the outstanding care they receive at our hospitals.

"I’m so very proud of our team, and it is extremely important for them to know that their compassion, courage and commitment is never taken for granted by the people they serve.’’

Andrew Kilmurray, editor of the St Helens Star, said: "The Star has a long-running association with this award and, once again, we were delighted to be present at the awards and to celebrate a very worthy winner."