We are just days away from finding out who have been voted our top care heroes of 2020, with 33 finalists awaiting to hear their fate.

We say hero, because the stories we have seen from all those nominated for an award show how all of them are heroes.

Dedication and sacrifice, love and compassion, professionalism and passion are all on show.

It’s been particularly true this year as health and care workers have struggled to overcome the challenges thrown at them by floods and a pandemic.

We had record entries of more than 250 nominations for this year’s awards so the judges had a particularly hard time making some very tough decisions.

There are 26 individuals in line for an award, while the staff of multiple organisations will have their fingers crossed.

The awards ceremony will be in the form of a live online broadcast. You can watch it on the Hereford Times Facebook page from 7pm on Thursday, October 22. It runs for about an hour.

It will be a star studded affair, hosted by Good Morning Britain’s Dr Hilary Jones and with a line up of celebrities with special messages for our heroes.

And at the end of the evening a special Outstanding Achievement award will go to one of the winners.

Here is the list of our fantastic finalists:

Care Team: Here4Care; Herefordshire Local Optometric Committee; Katherine Harriet Bespoke Homecare

Care Hero: Lyn Tomkins, Oaklands Nursing Home; Amanda Merrett, Kemble at Home; Helen Gordon, Altogether Care

Care Home Worker: Emma Thompson, Hampton House Care Home; Rebecca Marshall, Newman’s Care Home; Ryan Anderson, Rotherwood Healthcare

The Domiciliary Care Worker: Alice Wynn, Employed at Services for Independent Living; Sam Gawler, Services for Independent Living, Ruth Davies, Services for Independent Living

The Good Nurse: Grace Heal, Taurus Healthcare; Ricky Baker, Oana Gidofalvi, Gwen Walford House

Care Trainer: Dominic Coleman, Her4Care; Anne Boyle, AB Consultancy: Angela Dallow, Rotherwood Healthcare

Child and Adolescent Health Care Award: Hilary Jones; Herefordshire Council; Jo Griffiths, Herefordshire Council; Caroline Amos, NHS Epilepsy Nurse

Dementia Carer: Michelle Prideaux, Lynhales Hall Nursing Home; Dawn Daw, Leominster Meeting Centre; Nicola Thomas, Hampton Grange Nursing Home

Palliative/End of Life Carer: Dr Cath Blinman, St Michael's Hospice; Diane Newman, Aspire Living; St Michael's Hospice

Mental Health Award: The Cart Shed Charity: Euan MacPherson and Paul Stevens, Hereford Men’s Mental Health Group; James Baker, Hereford Make

Health Care Employer: Katherine Harriet Bespoke Homecare; Kemble at Home; Services for Independent Living

GP Practice of the Year: Staunton on Wye Surgery; Fownhope Medical Centre; Kingstone Surgery.

The awards are possible because of the support of the local health, care and business communities.

The main sponsor of the awards, as they have been from their inception, is the University of Worcester.

Category sponsors are: Altogether Care (two categories); Harrison Clark Rickerbys; Herefordshire & Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group; Herefordshire Council; Hoople Ltd; Limbco Ltd; Rotherwood Healthcare; Taurus Healthcare; TPG DisableAids Ltd; Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust; Wye Valley NHS Trust

Katherine Harriet Bespoke Home Care sponsored the souvenir supplement which will be in the Hereford Times on November 5.