CUMBRIA’S top nurses and doctors will be honoured at an awards ceremony this summer.

The Celebrating Excellence NHS Awards 2008 will recognise hard-working staff across hospitals in Carlisle, Whitehaven and Penrith.

The awards, which will be presented in June, are to be launched next week and include 14 categories, one voted for by the public.

Marie Burnham, chief executive of North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We have recently become the first trust in the UK to launch a specialist breast cancer/cardiology clinic and it has set an example to hospitals nationwide.”

She admitted that they had not been proactive in the past at celebrating the hard work of their staff and this year’s event coincided with the 60th anniversary of the NHS.

The awards ceremony will be held on June 12 at Rheged, with films shown of the nominees.

The 14 categories range from Doctor of the Year and Nurse/Midwife of the Year to a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The winners of the local event will then be put forward for regional and national awards. The awards will be officially launched at the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital on Tuesday. Read more