A NURSE with almost 40 years' service in the NHS has won the first chair's award given by a North-East mental health trust.

Janice Burnip, from Hartlepool, is among 27 individuals and teams nominated by colleagues and patient and carer groups for Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust's first Celebrating Success awards.

Trust chairwoman Eileen Grace said: "Janice was nominated by her colleagues, who described her as a dedicated, caring and compassionate nurse.

"Her dedication to patient care is typical of our 2,800 staff working across Teesside, north-east Yorkshire and east Durham."

Ms Burnip joined the NHS as a cadet nurse at the former Winterton Hospital, in Sedgefield, County Durham, in 1963, where she worked until 1980, when she moved to Hartlepool to work in the local mental health services.

Since 2000, she has co-ordinated the development of community mental health services such as the crisis resolution and access team, and the primary care mental health team.

Ms Burnip, who is due to retire next month, will received a framed certificate and £200 of shopping vouchers.

The trust not only praised her and the other nominees, but also announced that it is awarding an extra day's holiday to staff.

Moira Britton, trust chief executive, said: "We have had an exceptional 12 months. We have developed new and innovative services, had an excellent Commission for Health Improvement review report, and been acknowledged as one of the leading mental health and learning disability trusts in the country after gaining three stars in the recent NHS ratings.

"We wanted all of our staff to share in celebrating our success, so that is why we are giving everyone an extra day's holiday to enjoy over the next year."