STAFF at The Beardwood Hospital have celebrated a combined 95 years of service.

A dozen members of staff have received special awards including medical secretary Margaret Sims from Clayton-le-Moors who has worked 25 years at the hospital.

All 12 award winners received 'pin awards' from BMI Healthcare chairman Charles Auld.

He said: "These pin awards are a thank you. I pay tribute to the winners' continuing dedication and attention to detail that has helped to build our unchallenged reputation for best quality in everything we do to deliver excellent, effective patient care.

"But care and quality are more than standards, more than meeting the needs of regulators.

"Most of all, care and quality are about personal commitment and each of the winners has achieved a milestone in their career, meeting and exceeding our expectations, our patients' expectations and their own."

BMI Healthcare's 47 hospitals throughout the country participate in the pin award programme which began more than 15 years ago.