When Fraser Proudfoot’s grandfather was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital’s emergency assessment unit in June, after suffering a head injury, the 22-year-old was very concerned.

Mr Proudfoot’s paternal grandad Tony, 88, suffers from dementia and can sometimes become confused and disorientated.

The condition worsened after a recent infection and after he suffered a fall at home in Witney.

These concerns melted away when nursing assistant Tracey Roberts showed “real compassion” for the grandfather.

Now Mr Proudfoot, a charity fundraiser for Sobell House Hospice in Oxford, has nominated Miss Roberts for the Oxford Mail Hospital Heroes awards.

The Witney resident said: “My grandfather has dementia and became very confused and dehydrated due to an infection.

“He spent a couple of days in the emergency assessment unit being treated for delirium. But Tracey was great in understanding that.

“She treated him like a normal person, was very patient and helped him to regain some of his independence.”

Mr Proudfoot’s grandfather soon returned to his home in Witney where he lives independently, with the help of home care workers and his family.

He added: “Tracey has such a lovely manner with her patients.

“She was bubbly and chatty with my grandad, putting him at ease and making everything seem less scary. “She even brought him books and magazines.

“When he was ready to move on to a ward, Tracey came in early on her shift so that she could say goodbye and hopefully make him feel less anxious.”

The 38-year-old has worked at the John Radcliffe Hospital for 11 years, and she still maintains that she was “just doing her job”.

The Marston resident added: “I don’t feel like a did anything different in the way that I treated him – I was just doing my job.

“I was surprised by the nomination but it is an incredible honour to be nominated.

“I’m always trying to bring a cheery atmosphere to the place.

“No-one wants to be in hospital, so it’s important to make them feel at ease, and help make their stay nicer.”

Mr Proudfoot said: “Grandad’s a bit cheeky, and it was lovely seeing him talking to Tracey who was a bit cheeky back.

“He’d crack a joke and she’d laugh, he even blew up a rubber glove to create a shape of a chicken which made them all laugh. She was patient as well when he got confused.

“Grandad has been to the hospital a lot of times and this was the best I’ve seen him treated, he was enjoying himself.”