GWENT'S health board has released a special Christmas video paying tribute to its staff.

The video follows Valmai Palmer, a patient receiving rehabilitation treatment at Abergavenny's Nevill Hall Hospital, with a Christmas wish to return home to her family in time for the festive period.

Upon seeing new parents bringing home their new-born baby, she is reminded of her own grandson and is inspired to make him a gift for when she returns home - a patchwork bear.

As hospital staff all pull together to get her the supplies to make the bear, she begins work on making him. With rehabilitation treatment and support from a wide variety of staff, she becomes stronger and fitter every day and is able to build the bear gradually until it is ready to go home with her.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board called the story "a symbol for the patients seen day in, day out by NHS staff".

"The bear can only be put together with support from a number of hospital staff and the patient’s commitment to make him," the health board said. "Likewise, the care and treatment received from the staff has allowed Valmai to become stronger and healthier each day until she is well enough to go home."

Nicola Prygodzicz, the health board's chief executive, added: “This video is a tribute to our incredible staff that work so hard all year round across the whole of the Health Board with everyone contributing to the experience of our patients and communities in one way or another.

"The film is a snapshot of how staff work together to go above and beyond to support patients to get well enough to return home to their loved ones, especially at Christmas time, and they work extremely hard every year to make that happen.

"They sacrifice so much of their own Christmas period to make sure their patients are looked after, and so this video is really a testament to them and their unwavering dedication.”

The video also features five-week-old Lili, who was born 5 weeks ago at The Grange University Hospital. Her mother, Jess, said: “We wanted to take part in this video as a way of showing our appreciation for the NHS and for the care we’ve received. We are so grateful to everyone who helped bring our daughter safely into the world.

“Taking part in this video reminded us that the staff who were there to help us bring our beautiful baby girl home for Christmas will also be working over the Christmas period and spending it away from their own families."