A NEONATAL staff nurse has been named as the overall winner of a North-East hospital trust’s annual nursing awards.

Sarah Brooks, who works on the neonatal unit at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough won the overall award for her outstanding contribution to patient care.

She also won the award for staff nurse of the year, to make it a double celebration for the 34-year-old from Marton.

Sarah said: “I just can’t believe it. I was delighted to have received a nomination for the awards and when I heard my name read out for the staff nurse award I was stunned.

“When I heard my name read out as the overall Nightingale winner I just sat there dumbfounded. I still can’t believe it’s happened to me. I’m still speechless and that is a first.”

Matron Gill Hendry, assistant practitioner Annette Henderson and charge nurse Joe McGregor also picked up two awards each from the 15 categories this year.

The awards are given close to the birthday of the founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale.