Prince William will hail the National Health Service as “one of our country’s greatest treasures” tonight, at an awards ceremony to mark the NHS’s 70th birthday.

HRH The Duke of Cambridge said: “The National Health Service is one of our country’s greatest treasures and something we should all be immensely proud of.

“Perhaps the most wonderful thing about the NHS is its people. The skill, care and dedication they provide every day is truly inspirational.

“I would like to pay tribute to every member of NHS staff and the wonderful volunteers who do so much to support them – we owe you all a huge thank you.”

The NHS Heroes Awards, brought to you by ITV and the Mirror, will play host to the royal family and celebrities including Paul O’Grady, Michael Sheen, Dame Shirley Bassey, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, and Sir Tom Jones will be joining forces to celebrate the winners of 11 awards categories including Mental Health Champions, Emergency Lifesaver and Hero Volunteer.

Winners from across the NHS include:

• Trauma surgeon Dr Martin Griffiths, 50, who saved the first person stabbed in the London Bridge terror attack last year.
• Brain tumour victim Lewis Hine, 17, of Portsmouth, who organises dances for ill teens who, like him, missed their school prom.
• Medics James Lafferty, Sherridan Best, Caroline Appleby and Vidar Magnusson, who were first on scene in 2011 when Thusha Kamaleswaran, five, was shot.
• Freya Lewis, 15, of Manchester, who raised £40,000 for hospital after surviving Arena bombing.
• Betty Macintyre, 70, from Oban, who has delivered babies for more than 50 years in remote parts of Scotland.
• Lynn Lucas, of Newcastle, who has raised £2million for cancer research.
• Paramedics Dan Farnworth and Rich Morton, of Blackpool, who created PTSD charity Our Blue Light
• Steven Tsui and Stephen Large, of Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambs, who pioneered a new heart transplant.
• Sexual health worker Sara Rowbotham, 50, who helped convict nine Rochdale groomers.
• Mechanic Errol McKellar, 59, of London, who, after having prostate cancer, offered discounts to men who got checks – 46 were diagnosed.
• Prof Averil Mansfield, 80, who was UK’s first female professor of surgery.

Watch the full NHS Heroes Awards, brought to you by ITV and the Mirror, on ITV at 8:30pm Monday 21 May.