JUDGES of our Community Pride Awards have been swamped with nominations for health service heroes who have gone that extra mile to help York’s sickest and most vulnerable people.

Among the contenders is Jayne Liddle, a key-worker at The Glen respite centre, in Clifton, who was put forward for the accolade by Leeann Branton, whose ten-year-old daughter Lucy has cerebral palsy.

Leeann said Jayne had helped to turn her family’s life around and hailed her a “real-life Florence Nightingale”.

She recalled one time when Lucy was recovering from an operation and Jayne came to visit her at home in her own time to help to nurse her.

Leeann, of Huntington, said: “Jayne washed Lucy’s hair, massaged her, painted her toenails and took her out in her wheelchair so I could have a shower – all this without being asked and after her shift at work.

“She has sat with me when I have cried and needed somebody to talk to and even liaised with Lucy’s consultant and engineered a fabulous meeting which turned all our lives around.”

Leeann also nominated The Glen, which offers short breaks for severely disabled young people, in the Service With A Smile category.

She said: “Lucy enjoys going to the Glen as it is a stimulating and caring environment. It is very much a home from home and the Glen staff are very much part of our extended family.”

Meanwhile, staff in the Accident and Emergency department at York Hospital have been put forward in the Health Service Hero category by the parents of a baby boy whose life they tried to save.

Amy Yates and Matthew Brown, of Tang Hall, whose nine-week-old son, Leo, was a suspected victim of cot death, said: “The whole of the staff were wonderful.

“We had found him lying in his cot, not breathing.

“We rushed him into hospital and they did everything they possibly could for him.”

Michelle Kirkman and Claire Thompson, both administrators at the Cancer Care Centre at York Hospital, are also in contention for the award.

They have worked tirelessly to improve support for patients with cancer and have also raised several thousand pounds for the centre.

Together they set up a Look Good, Feel Better service, offering women with cancer a free make-up workshop to boost their confidence.

Meanwhile, Ian Wilson, Linda Grewer and Fran Woodcock, the three-person team at York Hospital who give resuscitation training to more than 500 staff each year, have been put forward for the award in recognition of their “can-do attitude”.

The play team on York Hospital’s children’s ward, who arrange activities with the youngsters to reduce anxiety associated with medical tests and treatments, are also in the running.

They have recently extended their role to help children who are visiting the hospital as out-patients for radiology scans and injection treatments.

Another contender is Anne Knaggs, a ward sister at York Hospital, who has been nominated in recognition of her “tremendous commitment” to improving patient safety in critical care.

Finally, Nicola Barker, deputy sister of Ward 11 at York Hospital, has been put forward for her determined efforts to raise awareness of vascular disease.

She organised a sponsored walk around York’s bar walls, raising £1,700 for the Circulation Society, which provides a wide range of information leaflets for vascular patients.

• Entries have now closed for our Community Pride Awards, which we are running in conjunction with City of York Council and Benenden Healthcare Society.