Staff at Oxfordshire's major hospitals will on May 14 be given awards at an annual ceremony to highlight their good work.

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible for Oxford's John Radcliffe, Churchill Hospital and Radcliffe Infirmary, and The Horton, Banbury, is honouring the efforts of its workers in front of 300 employees.

Louise Kelly, Jo Noble, Joanne Lafford, Jane Hallett and Norma Curtin, who are among those being honoured

May 19 is International Nurses Day, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birthday.

ORH assistant chief nurse John Campbell said the event would boost morale.

He added: "These awards give an indication of the dedication staff give to the people of Oxfordshire to make sure their health care is of the highest standard. Everyone works hard, but some people give a little bit extra.

"The end of the last financial year was quite a difficult period, so it's important we don't lose sight of the fact that there have also been a lot of achievements.

Blowing bubbles is a very important part of Joanne Lafford's working day.

It is just one technique the 32-year-old play specialist uses to distract children when they come for treatment at the Doris Field day unit, at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Ms Lafford looks after young patients when they visit the hospital for a range of treatments, including chemotherapy, day surgery, MRI scans and endoscopies.

Ward staff nominated her for an award because they believe she is a vital member of the team.

When the private ward at the John Radcliffe Hospital won a top quality mark, the hard work was down to senior staff nurse Louise Kelly.

She was assigned the role of quality manager to make sure the 23-bed Isis Suite was up to scratch when it made a bid for the International Standards Organisation award last December.

Now she has been given her own award for her dedication.

Superintendent radiographer Jane Hallett has been rewarded for helping reduce waits at Oxford's busy casualty department.

She is in charge of X-rays at the John Radcliffe Hospital's trauma and emergency units, and was instrumental in setting up a service at Witney Hospital's minor injuries unit, run by nurses and radiographers.

Mrs Hallett, 41, of Faringdon, said: "There are no medics on site and we have to take complete responsibility for interpreting the images and treating patients accordingly."

Chemotherapy sister Liz Flanagan said little jobs like making a cup of tea for patients makes her job worthwhile.

The ward manager leads a team of six nurses at the Churchill Hospital, and has helped to improve services for people who need drugs for cancer treatment.

Colleagues nominated her because "she comes to work with a smile, which we know can be difficult at times."

A nurse with dreams of setting up an exchange programme with hospital staff in New Zealand is one step closer to her goal.

Jo Noble, a cardiology ward sister at the John Radcliffe Hospital, has been given a £2,500 travel bursary as part of the nursing awards.

The grant Ms Noble has received is part of the Joan Lucy Main Research Fund, set up in memory of a former Radcliffe Infirmary nurse who left a legacy to further health care research.