Join us Live as Alex Kingston hosts the OUH Staff Recognition Awards 2026

Actress Alex Kingston, best known for her role as River Song in Doctor Who and Dr. Elizabeth Corday in ER, will host this year's Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) Staff Recognition Awards.

The awards event is an opportunity to celebrate the heart of OneTeamOneOUH – our people. It will take place at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford on Thursday 18 June, and anyone can watch live on the day via Microsoft Teams from 7.30-9.30pm.

In a conversation with our Communications team, Alex spoke about her experience of care at OUH, and what inspired her to return as a host to celebrate our staff.

Alex said: "I'm so excited to be hosting the OUH Staff Recognition Awards event this year and be among the people who gave me such incredible care.

"During my cancer treatment, I experienced extraordinary kindness during a challenging time of my life. Everyone I met was warm, sensitive, and reassuring. I always felt informed about the journey ahead and confident that I would be supported every step of the way.

"I was in awe of every clinician I encountered, especially the specialist nursing team who guided me through radiotherapy. I used to bring doughnuts each time I came in as a small thank you. And I'm glad to be back again – not as a patient, but to celebrate them."

More than 1,900 nominations were received for the OUH Staff Recognition Awards 2026 - teams, individual members of staff, volunteers, and fundraisers were all nominated – and the finalists in each category were announced in April.

Simon Crowther, Interim Chief Executive Officer at OUH, said: "Our Staff Recognition Awards shine a spotlight on the values at the heart of our Trust, honouring colleagues who inspire those around them through the way they live our values every day, and the meaningful difference they make to the care we provide for our patients and communities."

Oxford Hospitals Charity generously supports the Staff Recognition Awards, and we are grateful to them for making this important celebration of staff achievements possible.

Douglas Graham, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: "Working across all our hospitals gives the Charity team the privilege of seeing the remarkable dedication of staff throughout OUH. As always, we are proud to support the Staff Recognition Awards and to celebrate the teams and individuals who make such a difference."

More about our host:
Alex can be seen as a series regular in A Discovery of Witches for Sky opposite Matthew Goode and also in thriller Treason for Netflix opposite Ciaran Hinds. She can currently be seen in the espionage thriller Secret Service. Most recently, Alex has starred in Copenhagen at The Hampstead Theatre.

Read our previous news story: Alex Kingston thanks OUH teams on BBC Radio 5 Live for 'compassionate, excellent care'