The NHS has today announced its shortlist of nominated staff, carers and volunteers for this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards, ahead of its milestone 75th  birthday.

Launched in March, MPs were asked to find and nominate outstanding individuals or teams who have made the biggest improvements to health services in their constituencies across 10 categories.

Ahead of this year’s fifth annual ceremony, a record number of 750 nominations have been made from over half of all MPs representing English constituencies.

Panels of senior regional NHS representatives have selected regional champions for their dedication to the health service and to the people they care for in their communities.

For example, the Child Health Information Service (CHIS) team at the Provide Community Interest Company (CIC) in Cambridge were nominated having streamlined and digitalised their data reporting processes to save over 3,700 hours of clinical time annually, to increase efficiency and free up clinicians to care for patients.

Similarly, teams have done incredible work to make sure as many people as possible get the high-quality mental health care they need. Highlights include the expansion of the London Ambulance Service’s mental health joint response cars, which has seen thousands of patients experiencing a mental health crisis receive tailored support from a mental health professional alongside a paramedic.

Other nominees include:

• Kent and Medway’s Staff ‘Talking Wellness’ Mental Health Wellbeing Service, which supported NHS staff directly through 3,710 mental health wellbeing conversations in just six months.
• The Lancashire and South Cumbria Reproductive Trauma Service (Maternal Mental Health) at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT, has been co-designed with people who had experienced trauma during pregnancy and birth.
• Martyn Staddon’s SUPERB dashboard at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, allows all data sources to be merged compared, contrasted and triangulated so it’s far easier for staff to use.
• iCOPE, Integrated Care for Older People, focuses on proactive care of people aged 65 or over by identifying frailty, and severity and managing patients with evidence-based interventions in Devon in the South West.
• The Frailty Urgent Care Response and Virtual Ward Service at Frimley Health NHS FT have seen 83% of patients avoid hospital admission.
• The Health Literacy Team at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is acting as a systematic means of addressing health inequalities.
• Nuru Clark, Diabetes Specialist Nurse at Newham Hospital is using her pioneering and unique role to support women with diabetes from preconception through to pregnancy and post-pregnancy.
• Bedfordshire Breastfeeding Buddies is an amazing volunteer service that provides crucial support to many including parents needing support and information about feeding their babies.

Judging panel member and Chief Nursing Officer for England, Dame Ruth May, said: “These awards pay tribute to the enormous talent, hard work and commitment of the incredible people who make up the NHS. I’m very proud to be a part of them.

“This year we’ve seen an incredible amount of work going into tackling the NHS backlog and recovering from the impact of covid. NHS staff have continued to rollout of the biggest and fastest vaccination programme in NHS history, while virtually eliminating two year waits and diagnosing record amounts of cancer patients.

“As we celebrate 75 years of our NHS, it is a perfect time to recognise our staff.”

Fiona Cannon, Lloyds Banking Group’s Sustainable Business Director, said: “Lloyds Banking Group is pleased to be supporting the Excellence in Mental Health Care Award category of the NHS Parliamentary Awards once again. Congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted. Your work is of critical importance and contributes an enormous amount to the country. It also makes a huge difference to the well-being of individuals, their families and the wider community, so thank you for everything that you do.”

Managing Director at LV= General Insurance, Heather Smith, said: “We are extremely pleased to once again be sponsoring this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards. The NHS has always worked incredibly hard to care and protect the millions of us who need their help each and every year. The people are at the heart of the NHS which is why we are so delighted to be able to award the rising star of the NHS – those who among young members of staff and volunteers who are helping to shape the NHS for generations to come and are passionate about improving healthcare.”