Hospital staff will be cooking dishes from around the world next month at a special event to welcome overseas nurses, doctors and healthcare workers to the NHS.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will host the food event on Nurses Day on May 9 to celebrate the diverse cultures now working at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

In the past few years, the trust has welcomed staff from countries including Spain, Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland, Portugal, The Philippines and the Indian sub-continent through its “Remarkable People, Extraordinary Place” recruitment campaign.

Now, staff from wards and departments will be invited to taste massaman curries from Thailand, hamburgers from the USA, Neopolitan pizza from Italy, spring rolls from China and Indian speciality Masala Dosa to welcome the different nationalities devoted to caring for sick people from Hull and the East Riding.

Senior nurse Louise Beedle, head of patient experience, said: “We now employ nurses, doctors and healthcare staff from all over the world.

“We hope this event will mark the richness in cultures we now have right here in Hull.

Louise Beedle, right, with her Indian-born mother Jan Handley with some of their family’s favourite food

“We want our staff, no matter where they come from, to feel welcome in the city and to highlight their heritage through food. It might be a dish passed down their family for generations or something that reminds them of a place that means a lot to them.

“Food is a great way to break down cultural barriers and create new friendships, celebrating strengths in diversity but also the common bond we share in doing the best for our patients.”

The World Food event will be held at Castle Hill Hospital’s Nightingales Restaurant on May 9 between 4pm and 8pm.