Six NHS organisations from the West Midlands have been named as Midlands regional champions in the first NHS Excellence Awards, recognising work that is improving care for patients and communities.  

The NHS Excellence Awards are the only awards run by, and for, the NHS. They recognise, celebrate and share innovative work taking place across health and care. The awards shine a light on local teams, projects and individuals who are driving improvements, with the aim of sharing learning and inspiring others to adopt successful approaches in their own areas. 

In the West Midlands the following were named regional champions:  

Digital Innovation award  

• Winner: From Paper Registers to Real-Time Safety: A Clinically Led Digital Transformation of Controlled Drug Management 

• NHS organisation: University Hospitals Birmingham 

• More info: The team has been recognised for adopting digital practices to make sure the patients get the right medicines as well as save over 77,000 man hours which can go towards caring for patients. 

Leadership award 

• Winner: Dr Jess Harvey 

• NHS organisation: South-East Shropshire Primary Care Network, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB.  

• More info: Dr Jess Harvey has rapidly emerged as one of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin’s most impactful system leaders. She has delivered tangible, lasting improvements in community-led transformation – widening access to health and care, tackling inequalities and reshaping how care is delivered. 

Patient involvement and choice award 

• Winner: Little Voices 

• NHS organisation: Walsall Healthcare 

• More info: Little Voices was co-designed by the trust with children, families, paediatric teams and the local school community to create meaningful, child friendly ways for young people to learn about hospital life, helping to demystify the healthcare environment and reduce anxiety. 

Sustainable healthcare award 

• Winner: Bronze to Gold 

• NHS organisation: University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

• More info: The trust has achieved Gold accreditation in the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s Green Emergency Department (ED) programme, becoming only the second ED in the UK — and the first Major Trauma Centre — to reach this highest standard of sustainable emergency care. 

Valuing our people award 

• Winner: #MoreThanAJob 

• NHS organisation: Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust  

• More info: #MoreThanAJob has helped create meaningful work for local residents while also enabling existing staff to develop, progress and remain in stable employment. It recognises that employment is more than a job: it is a critical determinant of health, stability and long-term wellbeing. 

Working in partnership award 

• Winner: Navigating Our Womanhood Together (NOWT) — co-producing better access to women’s health in the Black Country,  

• NHS organisation: Black Country ICB 

• More info: Commissioned by NHS Black Country ICB, the project localises the ambitions of the Department of Health and Social Care 10-Year Women’s Health Strategy for England seeking to address women’s health inequalities through authentic partnership and inclusive, community-driven innovation. 

More than 400 entries were received in the Midlands across 10 categories, which were reviewed by a judging panel. 

10 Midlands champions have now been selected, six in the West Midlands and four in the East Midlands. All 10 regional champions from across the Midlands will now form the shortlist from which national winners will be selected. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at NHS ConfedExpo in Manchester in June 2026. 

Dr Jessica Sokolov, Regional Medical Director for NHS England – Midlands, said: “These awards celebrate some of the outstanding work happening across the Midlands by local projects and teams who are making a real difference to patients and communities. The teams and individuals recognised should be very proud – congratulations to all our Midlands champions.” 

Notes to editors 

The NHS Excellence Awards are run by NHS England in partnership with the NHS Alliance (previously NHS Confederation). 

The NHS Excellence Awards feature ten categories recognising individuals, teams and partnerships:  

• Delivering value award 

• Digital innovation award 

• Improving health outcomes award 

• Leadership award 

• Neighbourhood health award 

• Patient involvement and choice award 

• Quality improvement award 

• Sustainable healthcare award 

• Valuing our people award 

• Working in partnership award 

More information can be found at www.england.nhs.uk/nhsawards