The Bermuda Hospitals Board has been voted Workplace of the Year by an international employee recognition programme.

The BHB won the award at the annual WOW! Awards gala in London, while the BHB’s Child and Adolescent Services came second in the WOW! What a Team category.

Venetta Symonds, BHB CEO, said: “This win is not only good for BHB, it’s good for Bermuda.

“Showing the world that we value our patients and our employees breeds confidence in the way we treat each other on the island and the way we do business here.

“Our staff members have demanding, stressful jobs — our community depends on them to safeguard their health and wellbeing. It’s up to us as employers to ensure our staff are taken care of in return and given the best chance to succeed in providing exceptional care.”

More than 20,000 nominations were submitted, with the BHB beating finalists including City University in London, Help to Buy South West, Imperial College, London and the University of Gloucestershire.

Derek Williams, CEO of The WOW! Awards, said: “Bermuda Hospitals Board really impressed the judges with the focus that they have put on their employee engagement strategy.

“Allowing the employee voice to be heard throughout the organisation, creating employee wellness programmes and providing teams with new gym facilities are just some of the examples of keeping employee happiness at the heart of the organisation.”

Durham Constabulary beat the BHB Child and Adolescent Services for the What a Team award. Members of the BHB team also used the trip to London to visit the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.

Moffatt Makomo, an occupational therapist, said: “The recognition our team received at the awards ceremony was truly motivating for us.

“We’ll continue to do our best for Bermuda’s youth.”