A TOTAL of 170 years has been clocked up by a team of 13 staff who are celebrating long service achievements at Nuffield Health York Hospital.

The not for profit hospital, in Haxby Road, has staff celebrating between 10 and 30 years of employment in 2016.

Trish Hilton, NHS administration manager at Nuffield, who is celebrating 30 years with the hospital, says friendly work colleagues, a drive to create the best care for patients and variety in the role have kept her with the hospital for three decades.

She said: "I started as an administrator in 1985 at what was then the Purey Cust Nuffield Hospital near to York Minster.

"I then trained to be an enquiry handler, developing relationships with GPs and implementing systems to ensure the smooth running of booking procedures. Over the years I have learned a lot, experienced a great deal and thoroughly enjoyed working with the team here."

Long serving team members were thanked at a staff event, where employees received a monetary gift and certificate to mark their valued commitment and loyalty.

Matthew Lamb, Nuffield Health York Hospital director, said: "We have a great team here at Nuffield Health. All of our staff, whether they have been with us for a day or for 30 years, are valued for their expertise in caring for people. We have created an environment which is inclusive, open and communicative which, I believe, gives us a strong team and a strong sense of belonging."