Sunderland Echo Health Awards: Who are your heroes?

The 2016 Sunderland Echo Health awards get under way today and it’s your chance to give praise to those excellent people who make all the difference – often without the recognition they deserve.

Do you know an unsung hero in the health profession? Is there a nurse, doctor, dentist or carer who works tirelessly and lovingly in their job without ever seeking praise?

Then tell us all about the fantastic health professionals from Wearside and East Durham.

We are launching this year’s Sunderland Echo Health Awards today and we want to make this year’s competition bigger and better than ever before.

But to do that, we need your nominations in the categories listed below.

And once you submit your nominations for the heroes of health, we’ll do our best to report on most of the nominated causes in the weeks to come.

That way, they get the recognition they deserve, whether or not they lift a trophy at the end of the competition.

The competition is being held in association with City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, with NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group as partner sponsors and Olivers Dental Studio as category sponsors.

City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Ken Bremner said: “We are pleased to once again support the Sunderland Echo Health Awards.

“These awards are a fantastic opportunity for Echo readers to nominate any healthcare professional for special recognition. We know from the many cards and letters we receive that our patients do like the opportunity to say thank you and these awards allow them to publicly show their appreciation.

“All healthcare staff work extremely hard – whether that be in a hospital, a GP practice, dental surgery or nursing home and the Echo’s support for the work that they do by hosting these awards is valued enormously.”

Sam McErlane, the new practice manager of Olivers dental studio (mydentist), said: “With me recently joining the team,I have to come to realise the strong community link in Sunderland.

“It is a privilege to be sponsoring the Sunderland Echo Health awards for yet another year.

“We think it is great that all health care professionals at all levels are joined together and recognised for the amazing work they do across the city. We are proud again for the second year running to be sponsoring the Carer of the Year award, which is a great privilege for us.

“We wish everyone the best of luck”.

So all we need now is for you to highlight the people who have helped you most.

The very best will make it to our grand finals, to be held at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on April 14.

Before then, you have plenty of time to nominate with a deadline of March 31 to get those entries in. So get nominating and make sure our unsung heroes get the limelight they deserve.