THE HOST of the Western Telegraph’s Health and Care awards 2018 has said the people who keep the national healthy deserve to be celebrated.

Dr Hilary Jones, known for his TV work as health editor for Good Morning Britain, will be presenting the awards this October.

“How many people have careers with so much responsibility and where their customers are treated with such dignity and respect no matter how much abuse they sometimes receive?” the GP asked.

“These are the people who cement the NHS together. Without them there would be no NHS.

“They work tirelessly and way beyond the call of duty often doing unpaid overtime and never complaining.”

Dr Hilary said he has seen staff go beyond their duties in his own experience of the health service.

“My own twins were born 12 weeks prematurely at a time when the local special care baby unit was full and busy.

“Nevertheless, off duty paediatric nurses came in in the middle of the night and joined the team who saved my babies lives.”

Withybush Hospital.

In his opinion, giving medical staff public recognition for their hard work can only be a good thing.

“I believe we need to look after and cherish these men and women who are often underpaid for the jobs they do and under-appreciated in terms of what they achieve.

“Yet when you ask them they still say to me ‘there is no other job I’d rather do’. That says so much about them and their characters.

“We need to give them the credit they deserve. And when we can do this locally it is amazing how good this is for morale. “

The TV doctor will be travelling to Pembrokeshire County Showground this October to present the awards, a return to a county where he spent time as a medical student.

“I have very fond memories of visiting Pembrokeshire, especially walking along the beautiful coastal paths as a medical student with some of my mates.

“The local ale wasn’t half bad either!”

Dr Hilary urged anyone who is thinking of nominating a friend, family member or colleague to do so.

“I would say please nominate somebody that you know who does great work for health and care in Pembrokeshire.

“They do the job they do without much thanks and they are usually so humble and unassuming that to get recognition and a public pat on the back for everything they do really lifts them and makes it so much more worthwhile.”

Make your nomination at westerntelegraph.co.uk/awards/healthandcareawards