"A PILLAR of strength for the diabetes department."

Those are the words used to describe Christina Lange, who has been nominated for the Good Nurse accolade in the Hereford Times Health and Social Care Awards 2019.

She works in the diabetes department of Hereford County Hospital, where she has been a specialist nurse since 2014.

Dr Jyothish Govindan, who has put her forward for the honour, was full of praise.

He said: "She has excellent leadership skills, vision and innovative skills. During the last few years she has made a huge contribution towards diabetes care in the county."

Christina, who won the prestigious National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) 2019 Internship Pre-Doctoral Silver Scholar Award at the University of Nottingham, leads and manages a team of young nurses.

Dr Govindan said: "Christina is a leader with vision, unparalleled enthusiasm for patient care and inspiration for colleagues."

Our health and social care awards, which are now in their second year, will again salute outstanding work by individuals and teams in the health and social care sector across Herefordshire.

The 12 categories are: Care Team, Care Hero, Care Home Worker, Domiciliary Worker, Good Nurse, Outstanding Contribution to Social Care, Care Trainer, Dignity in Care, Dementia Carer, Palliative/End of Life, Mental Health Care and Care Employer.

Our headline sponsor is the University of Worcester, the region’s leading healthcare training provider.

A series of supplements in the Hereford Times and special coverage on our website and social media will promote the awards and publicise those shortlisted.

The climax will be an awards ceremony in September when the winners and runners-up are revealed, followed by a special supplement in the Hereford Times highlighting all the successful entrants.

Find out how to submit a nomination: http://bit.ly/2VxQsxR