Award Categories 2025

Entries will be reviewed against the following criteria

• Ambition - The challenge and context within which your project, person or organisation is set alongside your goals and targets whether quantitative or qualitative.
• Outcome - The benefits realised from the point of view of patients, organisation, leadership, value creation, efficiencies and cost.
• Spread - The dissemination of your success in terms of how your work has been picked up and replicated elsewhere.
• Value - The creation of value from the point of view of patient satisfaction and experience, reduction in bureaucracy, time saved for staff at any level.
• Involvement - The stakeholders buy-in and contribution toward the project initiatives and outcomes. How have the relevant staff, patients and partnerships worked together to realise the success?

Most categories are designed to recognise work conducted within public sector organisations and therefore in most circumstances only the NHS healthcare provider will be recognised. Please check eligibility with our team if you are not sure.

2025 Awards categories

(click on each section to learn more about each category)

Excellence in Patient Care and Innovation Recognising initiatives that improve clinical outcomes, patient safety, and service transformation through technology and new models of care.	1. Patient Safety Award
	2. Acute Sector Innovation of the Year
	3. Mental Health Innovation of the Year
	4. Primary or Community Care Innovation of the Year
	5. Modernising Diagnostics Award
	6. Medicines, Pharmacy and Prescribing Initiative of the Year
	7. Digitising Patient Care Award
	8. Driving Efficiency Through Technology Award (partnered by Vodafone)
	9. Data-Driven Transformation Award
	10. Performance Recovery Award (partnered by 18 Week Support)
	11. HSJ Partnership of the Year
Leadership and Workforce Development Celebrating outstanding leadership, workforce wellbeing, and initiatives that support NHS staff in delivering high-quality care.	12. Trust of the Year (partnered by McLaughlin & Harvey)
	13. Clinical Leader of the Year
	14. Workforce Initiative of the Year
	15. Staff Wellbeing Award
	16. NHS Communications Initiative of the Year
	17. Integrated Care Initiative of the Year (partnered by NHS Professionals)
	18. Provider Collaboration of the Year
	19. Primary or Community Care Provider of the Year
Tackling Health Inequalities and Community Impact Highlighting projects that address disparities in healthcare access, outcomes, and inclusion.	20. Reducing Inequalities and Improving Outcomes for Children and Young People Award (partnered by Vodafone)
	21. Early Intervention and Prevention for Children, Young People and Families Award (partnered by Barnardo’s)
	22. NHS Race Equality Award (partnered by NHS Race and Health Observatory)
	23. Innovation and Improvement in Reducing Healthcare Inequalities Award
	24. Towards Net Zero Award
	25. Military and Civilian Health Partnership Award (partnered by Department of Health and Social Care & Ministry of Defence)
	26. NEW: Transforming Care for Older People