The awards were joined by colleagues with 25 years' service and they included physiotherapist Sally Robertshaw whose patients include last night's co-presenter our CEO Owen Williams. Consultant Karol Rogawski and his secretary Gillian Grayson received their 25-year certificates together and in another special twist Mary Smith and Elizabeth Kenyon were two 25 years recipients for our domestics team.
Owen told them all: " I sort of like the comparison to Weebles - you may wobble but your resilience means you never fall down. Your ability to dust yourselves down after a tough day and come back for more to care for our patients cannot be underestimated.
" We may work in a dramatic environment with many mixed emotions yet you constantly have shown the ability to keep coming back to provide that next list of care.
"You give so much. Not just to your patients, but to your colleagues also over so many years, and that is a tremendnous achievement. Stay in this moment. Enjoy it."
As well as certificates all the recipients enjoyed an afternoon tea with their families and gifts cards at the event in the Learning Centre at HRI.