Countdown is under way to a special night celebrating our health heroes

This year’s Sunderland and South Tyneside Best of Health Awards are days away from their finale.

And here are some of the people who have reached the shortlist in their categories.

To reach this stage is an achievement in itself as the standard throughout each section was extremely high.

The next stage of this year’s awards is the grand finale. That’s the night when we will announce the winners at the Roker Hotel, in Sunderland, on Thursday, May 9.

Our team of reporting staff will bring you all the latest developments of the evening’s proceedings, with a round-up of all the results in the Sunderland Echo and the Shields Gazette the next day.

Once the night is over, we will publish a special supplement filled with more interviews and photos in the week after the awards finale.

The Gazette and Echo are holding the awards in partnership with South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

The sponsors for this year’s competition include Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the Wonderful Wig Company and East Coast Fitness.

In the meantime, here is the shortlist in this year’s hotly contested categories;

As well as the shortlisted sectors listed below, there will be winners announced on the night in five other categories.

They are Special Midwife Award; Unsung Hero; Judges Choice; Special Recognition Award; and Lifetime Achievement.

In the meantime, here are the contenders in the running for five of the categories.

GP/GP Practice of the Year, sponsored by the South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust;

l Dr Katharine Bramley.

l Dr Neil Dowden.

l Wawn Street Surgery

l Sunderland GP Alliance.

l Dr Khalil.

Hospital Doctor of the Year, sponsored by the Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group;

l Hector Mahlaba.

l Doctor Gudipati.

l Nick Matthews.

Nurse of the Year, sponsored by the Shields Gazette;

l Robyn Lynch.

l Laura Thompson.

l Karen Davis.

l Anne Thompson.

l April Place.

Pharmacist/Pharmacy of the Year, sponsored by the South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust;

l Jonathan Hindmarsh.

l Peterlee Pharmacy.

l Chloe Laing.

l Natalie Laing.

Customer Service Award, sponsored by The Wonderful Wig Company.

l Palliative Care Night Team.

l Farnham Health Centre.

l Bobbie Drewett.

l Judith Jefferies.