A WARD at a Winchester hospital has won a national award for its care of older people.

The team, from Clifton Ward at Royal Hampshire County Hospital, picked up the accolade of ‘Best Care of Older People’ at the Nursing Times 2014 ceremony in London.

There were nearly 800 entries from 306 organisations in 20 categories.

Clifton War Sister Rhian Cross was at the event to accept the award and said it was an “incredible experience”.

“The feeling of winning the award is unforgettable,” she said.

“On Clifton we are passionate about providing excellent care and rehabilitation to older people, and we’ve sought new ways to empower our patients and listen to them. We love seeing the way our approach benefits our patients and are so excited to have won such a prestigious award.”

The awards recognise excellence in nursing and patient care.

Donna Green, chief nurse at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT), said: “Caring for elderly patients can be very difficult because they often have complex needs and don’t have just one condition to treat, but as the Clifton team has shown, it can often be the most rewarding too. I am very proud of them.”

Chief Executive of HHFT, Mary Edwards added: “I find most of the staff working in our foundation trust are very humble when it comes to accepting praise, and although there is always more we can do, it’s important that all our staff take a moment to enjoy this national recognition.”