Four nurses have been applauded for their dedication to patients at an annual healthcare conference.

Angela Houlston, Gill Siuda, Joanna John and Wendi Snart all work at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, and were nominated for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust special achievement awards by their colleagues. They are pictured with chief nurse Julie Hartley-Jones.

John Campbell, associate chief nurse for the trust, said: "We do recognise that patient care is a multi-disciplinary team effort, but now and then some people stand out and are leading lights.

"These particular awards are nominated by departmental teams and individuals, and it's not something that is dictated from above.

"We know that our trust, like others across the UK, is facing difficulties at the moment, but nurses like always are putting their patients first.

"What we're trying to do is concentrate on the best bits, and show that even in difficult circumstances nurses and midwives do a great job."

About 250 nurses and healthcare professionals watched their four colleagues accept their awards at yesterday's ceremony at the JR, the trust's seventh such conference Channel Four news presenter Jon Snow delivered the keynote speech.