CAHPO awards – frequently asked questions
Nominations for the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) Awards will open on Friday 1 May and close at 11.59pm on Sunday 31 May.
The instruction pack can be found here: NHS England » Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Awards 2026 – instruction pack for submitting a nomination
AHP Creative Provision of Placements Award – awarded by the Council of Deans of Health
Nominations are welcomed from AHP leaders, educators and/or students from health and social care or education (teams or individuals) who have helped change the face of AHP practice-based learning. This should include initiatives that have increased the number of practice-based learning opportunities and will sustain this increase whilst maintaining or improving quality.
AHP Public Health Award – awarded by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
This award recognises an AHP team or individual who has delivered service improvements which benefit population health and wellbeing and/or reduced health inequalities. Nominations are welcome from AHPs and their teams including support workers and students.
AHP Digital Practice Award – awarded by NHS England
Nominations are welcome from AHPs who have led the way in digital developments. They need to be able to demonstrate innovation in information and communication technologies and how the innovation, project or initiative impacts in one or more of the impact areas, commitments or priorities in AHPs Deliver.
AHP Workforce Transformation Award – awarded by NHS England
Nominations are welcome for this award from individual AHPs or teams who are demonstrating transformation through innovation in AHP workforce supply, this can include or be from pre-registration through to post programmes settings e.g., new ways of offering work experience, return to practice, advance practice and international recruitment.
AHP Innovation and Improvement Award – awarded by the Behavioural Insights Team (part of Nesta)
Nominations are welcomed from AHP practitioners, or a team of practitioners to which AHPs have contributed, who have relentlessly focused on driving quality improvement in their work and who have been strong advocates for quality improvement. This may include practitioners who are involved in co-ordinating quality improvement work at a local level or individuals who are dedicated drivers for change and improvement.
AHP Research Impact Award – awarded by the Community for Allied Health Professions Research and the National Institute for Health and Care Research
This award focuses on the contribution made by AHPs in developing, leading or supporting research in health, social care and public health, and the impact that this contribution has made. Submissions are welcome from individuals or teams who have led research related projects or initiatives that have had a positive impact on AHPs, AHP services, people and communities– including but not limited to safety, quality and outcomes; service delivery, efficiency and productivity; or education and workforce development.
Greener AHP Award – awarded by Greener NHS
This award recognises an AHP team or individual who has delivered service improvements which improve healthcare’s environmental impact, for example carbon reduction projects or increasing equipment reuse. Nominations are welcome from AHPs and their teams, including support workers and students.
AHP Leadership for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Award – awarded by NHS Race and Health Observatory
This award acknowledges and celebrates AHPs who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda. Taking positive action to ensure strategies/ policies and wider work programmes are equitable, inclusive and give due regard to the diversity and strengths of all our communities, therefore facilitating the AHP workforce to reflect the people and populations we serve, through targeted evidence-based interventions.
CAHPO Award – awarded by the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (England)
Awarded by the CAHPO for England, this is for the outstanding contribution and overall ‘AHP of the Year’, decided from the winners of each of the categories above. Please note: you cannot submit nominations for this award.
No, the CAHPO Awards are only open to AHPs working in England.
The awards are open to all 14 AHPs including support workers, assistant practitioners, registered professionals, and pre-registration apprentices and students. You can either nominate yourself or another AHP or AHP team. Only the names of the people shortlisted will be published. Please note that the CAHPO Awards is for NHS or publicly funded initiatives/projects within England.
Yes, provided the nomination relates to practice or innovation culminating in 2025/26.
Some nominations may be applicable to more than one category. If you wish to nominate an individual or team for more than one award, please ensure that you can identify the specific details relevant to each category. While dual submissions are allowed, only one category will proceed to final shortlisting if both are successful.