Staff throughout Manning Hospital are thriving on the Christmas spirit, decorating wards to bring Christmas cheer to patients, visitors and staff. The fact that they are being judged for their efforts on Wednesday is simply providing extra motivation for creativity.

One staff member bubbling over with excitement is Lyn Gregory, the Communication Officer in the Emergency Department. Lyn said her job involves looking after the Emergency Department phones, booking Ambulances and tracking patient records, so when she had to venture up to Levels 4 and 5 on Friday, she was simply blown away.

"It’s just spectacular!" Lyn said.

"You get out of the lift on Level 5 to find a sign ‘Welcome to Santa’s Hat Shop’, with loads of bright green and red hats - staff have even created a hat tree. The imagination that has gone into this is just amazing.

"On Level 4 you’ll find a fairyland. There is Santa and Mrs Claus in a sea of silver. There are strings of tinsel blowing in the air conditioning. It’s just beautiful.

"Then Children’s Ward is a scatter of bling – just what young people love," she said.

Lyn was so excited by the ‘works in progress’ that she just had to bring her daughter up to see the decorations. Not surprising, but her daughter is 28 years old and just as excited by the efforts of nursing staff.

"I get so excited. I just love to see the Spirit of Christmas evident in people’s lives. I think it is amazing when I know that most of this work has been done by staff in their own time.

"It’s just fabulous," she said.