Awards now open for MPs to recognise great healthcare in east of England
Despite high demand for the region’s NHS services this year, staff continue to provide high quality care to patients, often using innovative ways to improve their healthcare experiences.
To recognise those working in the NHS, from today, Members of Parliament (MPs) from across the East of England will start nominating individuals and teams who really stand out in their various professions through the NHS Parliamentary Awards.
Patients who have received outstanding or innovative healthcare in our region are encouraged to write to their MP to nominate those staff involved.
The awards have grown every year since they were established in 2018, with over 750 individuals or teams nominated by MPs last year alone.
Adam Cayley, regional chief operating officer for the NHS in the East of England, said: “These important awards recognise the amazing work that NHS staff and volunteers carry out day in day out across the East of England.
“It’s been another tough year for the NHS as we continue to recover from the pandemic, manage through a challenging winter, and provide safe and urgent healthcare through a series of Industrial Action. Throughout it all, NHS staff have gone above and beyond to provide great healthcare and it’s those people that should be recognised in these awards.”
This year there are 10 award categories, including the new Excellence in Education and Training Award. This recognises a team or individual who is leading the way to help support the delivery of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. This could be through innovative approaches to education, such as apprenticeships or championing new approaches to attract new staff from diverse backgrounds.
Nominations will close on Friday 19 April and all of those shortlisted by the national judging panel will be invited to the awards ceremony in Westminster on Monday 1 July, to celebrate their fantastic achievements alongside the MPs who nominated them.
NHS staff can be nominated by the local MPs in the following categories:
- The Excellence in Education and Training Award: To recognise teams and individuals which excel at innovative approaches to education and training.
- The Excellence in Healthcare Award: This award recognises individuals or teams who go above and beyond to either prevent major health conditions or improve outcomes and experiences for patients living with and beyond them.
- The Excellence in Mental Health Care Award: To the individual or team that has worked across organisational boundaries to develop new and effective services to help people living with mental health problems in their community.
- The Volunteer Award: The Volunteer Award is for volunteers working to support the NHS to provide excellent care for patients, helping them to keep healthy and well.
- The Excellence in Urgent and Emergency Care Award: To the individual or team that has made improvements in how the NHS treats people in life or death situations.
- The Excellence in Primary Care and Community Care Award: As the needs of patients and the wider NHS evolves, so does the role of these professionals, and this award seeks to recognise practitioners and teams in primary or community care that are working with patients to help them stay healthy and avoid long stays in hospital or being admitted in the first place.
- The Future NHS Award: This award seeks to highlight individuals, teams and organisations that are successfully embracing the opportunities that come from innovation and advances in medical technology, data, and connectivity.
- The Health Equalities Award: This award is for an individual or organisation that has helped the NHS to do its bit by bringing together different groups and organisations to reduce health inequalities and prevent ill health in different communities.
- The Nursing and Midwifery Award: This award is for any nurse or midwife that has used their skills to ensure that patients experience care and compassion, and have driven improvements in their service.
- The Lifetime Achievement Award: This award is for an individual who has worked within a health or care setting for 40 years or more who has left a positive legacy.