Tonic for doctor and nurse at awards event

Dr Bill Lamb, a consultant paediatrician at Bishop Auckland General Hospital and Darlington Memorial Hospital, was named Hospital Doctor of the Year in the Outstanding Achievement category of the Northern regional finals of the Health and Social Care Awards.

Clare Westwood, a nurse practitioner at Darlington Memorial Hospital, won the Nurse of the Year award in the same category.

Both will now compete for the national title at an event next month.

Dr Lamb was nominated for working with diabetic teenagers to improve the service they receive.

He raised money for three teenagers to visit diabetic services in Sweden and report back with suggestions about how things could be done differently here.

He has also campaigned for wider access to insulin pump therapies in County Durham, and run marathons to raise cash to pay for equipment.

Clare Westwood helps run a colorectal nurse practitioner services for patients at Darlington.

Her advanced skills mean that she can perform diagnostic tests to check for signs of cancer and other bowel problems.

She said: "I work as part of a team of nurses and doctors, and the aim is to improve the speed and quality of the service we can offer our patients."

Each of the winners receives £1,000 in prize money which can be spent on improvements to services in their department.

The Acute Respiratory Assessment Service, at University Hospital North Durham - another nurse-led team which helps patients with chest problems stay out of hospital - was shortlisted in another category of the awards.