Thirty-one members of local hospital staff have been honoured for providing 435 years of combined service to their community at one of Wales' leading private hospitals.

Staff at BMI Werndale Hospital in Bancyfelin have been presented with long service pins for their hard work and dedication to their patients, their roles and to BMI Healthcare. The staff long service ranges from five years to 20 years, and Caroline Daymond, executive director at the hospital, presented them with their pins during a special evening held at The Falcon Hotel in Carmarthen on Saturday.

Caroline said: "It's excellent that we have such dedicated people working here, it says a lot about the hospital as a workplace. I'm very proud of the team and delighted that so many of our departments were represented at the awards; it's also a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the hard work they do."

Of the 31 staff that received an award, five received15-year pins and 13 received their 20-year award.

Gaynor Llewellyn, director of nursing, was one of the 20-year pin recipients. She said: "When I joined BMI Werndale Hospital, it was a very exciting time, being part of a new hospital and all staff were so passionate to succeed. Twenty years on, we have developed an exceptional hospital and service to our patients. I feel so proud to have been part of that dedicated team and I look forward to many more successful years to come."

Caroline Daymond added: "BMI Werndale Hospital has such a fantastic team and is a happy environment to work in. There are opportunities for people to develop and climb the career ladder and Gaynor is proof. All our staff have a crucial part to play and really make the difference and some of our team have been here since we opened our doors in 1991. They know the hospital and our patients and, on many levels, our patients know our staff and enjoy seeing familiar faces when they return time and time again."