THE inaugural Evening Post Health Hero Awards were a huge success with several hundred people attending the celebration.
The event, which was sponsored by Lancaster University Medical School, was held at Ribby Hall Hotel, Wrea Green, and saw health workers from the public, private and voluntary sectors honoured for their work.
LEP Editor Gillian Parkinson said: “These awards are designed to recognise and celebrate excellence in health care of all kinds. It is our way of saying thank you to the many people who look after us in our most vulnerable moments and to thank them for their professionalism and care.”
There were 12 categories in the awards, including GP of theYear, Nurse of the Year and Carer of the Year.
The winners were:
Midwife of the Year, sponsored by UCLan: Chorley Birth Centre.
Highly Commended: Katrina Rigby.
Optician of the Year, sponsored by Barchester: Specsavers Team, Preston.
Highly Commended: Zunaid Ally, Ideal Eyecare.
Pharmacist of the Year: Mark Oak, Broadway Pharmacy.
Highly Commended: Cottam LanePharmacy.
GP of the Year, sponsored by Lancaster University Medical School: Dr Ketan Patel, Central Park Surgery, Leyland.
Highly Commended: Dr David Waide; Dr Partha Ganguli and Dr Hugh Alexander.
Childcare of the Year, sponsored by Spiral Health: Little Achievers.
Highly Commended: Busy Bears.
Therapist of the Year, sponsored by Barchester: Richard Baron.
Highly Com-mended: Duang Roberts and Lesley Pickering.
Dentist of the Year: Dr Ali Altaf of Synergy Dental.
Highly Commended: Andy Holly of HollyDental.
Elderly Welfare Award, sponsored by Mac Clinical Research: Lyndsey Morgan, Sherwood Court Care Home.
Highly Commended: Petra Pearson and Brooklands Residential Home.
Unsung Hero Award, sponsored by Specsavers Preston: Sarah Unsworth.
Highly Commended: Sharon Cross and Valerie Garnett.
Nurse of the Year, sponsored by Key Care and Support: Amanda Fewtrell.
Highly Commended: Kim Leech and Carol Rooney.
Carer of the Year, sponsored by Well Careplus: Emma Kendall, Dovedale Court Care Home.
Highly Commended: Leon Worsley, Key Care and Support and Lorinda Robertson, Central Park Surgery.
Hospital Doctor of the Year, sponsored by Lancaster University Medical School: Dr Vinutha Shetty.
Highly Commended: Dr Faiyaz Mohammed.