A medical photographer at the West Suffolk Hospital is celebrating after picking up a hat-trick of awards in the space of just four months.

Hayley Coates, who works as an ophthalmic photographer in the hospital’s Eye Treatment Centre, was presented with her first accolade in September when she was given a bronze in the Institute of Medical Illustrators 2012 awards.

She received the prize for her work on a montage of photographs taken during a fluorescein angiography, which uses a dye to show up the blood vessels in the eye, in turn highlighting any abnormalities.

In November she was awarded the best case study at the Ophthalmic Imaging Association’s annual conference after submitting an essay and photographs about the presentation and management of a condition called autosomal dominant drusen.

She received her final award earlier this month, when she was presented with first place in the angiography category at the Yorkshire Retina Society’s annual conference, and was given the prize for a series of photographs taken at different time intervals during a fluorescein angiography.

“I was really pleased to win the awards,” said Ms Coates, who has worked at the hospital for nearly two years and lives in Bury St Edmunds. “I was presented with the prize for the best case study while I was at the conference, which was a real surprise.

“My role involves quite a lot of diagnostic work and I carry out lots of angiography tests, so I’m really proud that this work has been recognised nationally.”