HOSPITAL workers are being given a delicious treat as a thank you from a hotel.

The Roslin Beach Hotel, in Thorpe Esplanade, Thorpe Bay, offers 100 Southend Hospital workers a free cream tea once a month.

Some staff have already taken up the offer and enjoyed tea and scones.

Dawn Taylor, who works in the orthopaedic ward, said: “I love my job. At the moment, the NHS is taking a bit of a bashing. We all work very hard and are under pressure a lot of the time.”

The workers can only go once, as it is open to all hospital employees.

Mrs Taylor, 53, added: “What a wonderful treat. The room was beautifully dressed with crisp, white table cloths and lovely china crockery.

“When you get something for free, don’t you always think they will skimp on something? I was wrong.

We had the most delicious food, plenty of it and it was beautifully displayed.

“They treated us very kindly and catered to all our needs. I’m sure I speak for everyone who has attended that it is a very generous, kind gesture and we thank the Roslin very much.”

She said it was nice to be shown some appreciation and it made the job worthwhile as “little things mean a lot”.

Jacqui Dallimore, the Roslin’s managing director, said the hotel had been offering the teas since April and was happy to support local NHS workers.

She added: “We have 120 staff here, all of whom use the NHS. The NHS workers work so hard and don’t quite get the recognition they deserve.

“It’s fab. There are always 100 people who come every month. This is a way of saying thank you.”