CASH-strapped Ipswich Hospital has been forced to postpone its annual staff awards ceremony due to plummeting morale.

CASH-strapped Ipswich Hospital has been forced to postpone its annual staff awards ceremony due to plummeting morale.

The awards ceremony, which recognises the achievements of staff throughout the past year, was due to take place later this month but hospital chiefs have decided to delay it.

Jan Rowsell, hospital spokeswoman, said: “We have taken the decision to postpone the event and it will now be held in the New Year.

“There's a great deal happening within the hospital at the moment and we felt it would be better to move it to another time.

“The awards are very important for recognising the hard work of our staff but, at this particular time, we felt it was important to allow people some breathing space.”

The inaugural awards ceremony was held at Suffolk College last year and a host of staff were presented with certificates for their hard work.

Winners for the majority of categories were nominated by their colleagues from within the hospital, but The Evening Star sponsored the Patients' Award which gave members of the public the chance to thank staff who had made a difference to their lives.

The Star is sponsoring the award again this year and has received many nominations from readers.

Ms Rowsell said: “The ceremony will be rescheduled and all existing nominations will still count.

“This is only a delay not a cancellation.”