A LETTER to Buckingham Palace from a Dorchester woman has led the way for men and women from the UK fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone to receive government recognition.

Joss Baker, who is 59 and works as a care worker at Culliford House in Dorchester, was recently watching the news where UK forces, including nurses and armed services personnel, were helping fight the Ebola crisis.

She thought the doctors and nurses who travelled there to save the lives of others were selfless and deserved some recognition.

Joss said: “I've seen well deserved celebrities and others get awards so I decided to write to the queen to see if these doctors and nurses at the NHS should have some recognition, because in my eyes they are true heroes.”

Joss sent her letter to Buckingham palace and received a reply within days, saying her letter had been passed onto the Cabinet Office - the responsible board for such awards.

She then received a reply from the Cabinet Office thanking her for her letter and thought that was all she would hear.

But to her astonishment, Tory MP Margot James prompted a discussion on the subject during Prime Minister's Questions earlier this month.

David Cameron then announced that he will recommend to the Queen creating a new campaign medal to be awarded to the UK forces fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone.

The 2,000 UK nationals who took part in the fight against Ebola will be eligible for the medal.

Joss added: “I rang the Cabinet Office after David Cameron's announcement and was told that my letter, as people power, definitely spurred this on.

“I'm so pleased that I actually bothered to write this letter - congratulations to all the nurses and doctors involved because it is a well deserved result.

“They continue to put their own lives in danger to save us here and around the world.”

Born as one of 14 children, Joss said she regularly does a lot for charity because she was always taught to give to others.

In the past she has run the London marathon three times, walked on hot coals for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and completed a 26-mile trek through Weymouth for The MV Freedom Charity.

In 2012 she was also appointed a team leader for the Weymouth and Portland Ambassadors during the London Olympics.

Joss, who is 60 in July, has even asked for no birthday presents and instead wants people to donate money to the West Dorset Women's Refuge.

Her nephew Paul Murphy worked in Sierra Leone two years ago updating telephone masts and donating clothes to underprivileged children.