HAMPSHIRE NHS staff have received a special award for their hard work and dedication.

The special award ceremony entitled Celebrating Success was held by South Central Strategic Health Authority and was the first of its kind across NHS South Central.

Hampshire projects won four of the six categories designed to make a difference to patient care and services.

Mark Britnell, chief executive of NHS South Central, thanked staff for their hard work and dedication. He said: "It is encouraging to see that even the smallest of changes can make the biggest difference to a patient's experience. These awards show the huge impact NHS staff have on patients' lives every single day."

The four winning projects in Hampshire, which were all awarded £1,000 to invest in their project, were:- The Why Wait 'til Monday project submitted by Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, which is a physiotherapy project focusing on providing physio treatment seven days a week for patients.

The Havant Teenage Pregnancy Local Implementation Team project submitted by Hampshire Primary Care Trust, which develops and successfully implements innovative projects that have measurable benefits for young people and their families, helping reduce teenage pregnancy rates.

The Innovation in Technology award went to Hampshire Primary Care Trust for its website www.getiton.nhs.uk"></>.

It is a service directory aimed at supporting young people in finding their nearest appropriate sexual health service and finding out how to access it.

The Staff Support Following Traumatic Incidents in the Workplace project was submitted by Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust. This project supports staff involved in traumatic incidents while on duty, (including patient deaths, physical assaults etc).

It is staffed on a volunteer basis by a variety of health care professionals.

Tower block gets facelift A MULTI-million pound makeover has brought a Hampshire tower block into the 21st century.

Gosport mayor Councillor June Cully unveiled a plaque to mark the transformation of Garland Court in Forton Road, Gosport.

A total of 63 apartments have been revamped with new kitchens and bathrooms as part of a £15m refurbishment programme.

The scheme is the first of five tower blocks in Gosport to be brought up to the government's 2010 Decent Homes Standard by Kelsey Housing Association over a three-year period.

The improvement works include external cladding and insulation, rewiring, roofing and ventilation improvements.