The 2020 Excellence in Patient Care Awards shortlist is announced

The 2020 Excellence in Patient Care Awards shortlist is announced!

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the RCP recognises the importance of celebrating the groundbreaking and impactful work of our members and fellows now more than ever. With this in mind, we’ve decided to go ahead with the annual Excellence in Patient Care Awards (EPCA) and have announced the 2020 shortlist.

In 2015, the EPCA were launched to promote and reward the impressive work that physicians are doing around the world to improve patient care, through education, innovation, research and clinical practice. We would like to thank every individual and team who took the time to enter a project or to nominate a colleague for recognition. After much consideration, the judging panel has decided on the following shortlist across the nine categories.

Digital award

Recognises and rewards the use of new or existing technologies or digitally driven projects that have contributed to significant improvements in patient care or health outcomes.

Cancer Genetics Unit Innovation Team, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Family history questionnaire service (FHQS): a patient-facing app streamlining personalised cancer risk assessment
Diabetes technology network UK and NHS England, Association of British Clinical Diabetologists – Supporting the uptake of innovative diabetes technology in the NHS
Professor Raashid Ahmed Luqmani, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Rheumatology assessment database innovation in Oxford
West Midlands Palliative Medicine Physicians Society – A 21st century solution to supporting colleagues delivering great end-of-life and palliative care.

Innovation award

Rewards projects that have used innovative new techniques or ideas that have contributed to significant improvements in patient care or health outcomes.

Dr Burhan Ahmad Khan, Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust – Passing the baton out of hours – better handover, better patient care
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – Ambulatory management of spontaneous pneumothorax
Dr Nigel Bird, Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group, Loughborough University – Novel ring pessary design
Pulmonary vascular diseases unit, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – Pioneering balloon pulmonary angioplasty for patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic disease.

International award

Recognises and rewards projects that have been delivered outside the UK and have contributed to significant improvements in patient care and health outcomes in a particular country or region.

Dr Atif Munir, Fatima Memorial Hospital Shadman, Lahore, Pakistan – A multidisciplinary diabetes clinic in Lahore, Pakistan
MND MDT of South Australia, Flinders Medical Centre, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN), South Australia – Development of a multidisciplinary motor neurone disease clinic in South Australia
PERFORM implementation team, St John of God Murdoch Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia – Implementation of PERFORM in a private hospital setting
Team CAPD, Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka – Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) saving lives in the north central province of Sri Lanka.

Medical education and training

Rewards projects involving the development of medical education and training programmes, services or structures that have improved the quality of patient care delivered, whether on a local or wider scale.

Inpatient diabetes training and support (ITS) diabetes, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust – ITS diabetes (inpatient diabetes training and support): transforming delivery of training to frontline staff and improving patient focused outcomes
NeuroPACES/NeuroACCESS, The Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with: University Teaching Hospital, Zambia; Beira Central Hospital, Mozambique – ‘Sustaining the training’: advancing neurology care through The NeuroPACES/NeuroACCESS model
The prescribing safety assessment (PSA) partnership – The PSA
Sim@TheHill, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust – High fidelity in situ simulation in gastrointestinal emergencies leads to organisational change and improved patient safety.

Person-centred care award

Recognises projects that have placed patients’ needs, views and involvement at their heart, demonstrating a truly patient-centred approach to improving care.

ACU Heart Lounge, Ealing Hospital, London Northwest University Healthcare NHS Trust – Ealing ACU Heart Lounge
Moving Medicine, Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) UK, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Moving Medicine
Newcastle upon Tyne Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) team, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Submission from Newcastle upon Tyne IBD team
South Wales neuroendocrine cancer team, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board – Patient-centred transformation of the south Wales neuroendocrine cancer service.

Quality improvement award

Celebrates projects that have implemented systematic change in order to achieve a measurable improvement in the quality of healthcare services, patient care or health outcomes.

Active hospital team, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – The active hospitals pilot at Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust
FORWARD, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust– FORWARD (feeding via the oral route with acknowledged risk of deterioration) – a novel tool to support patients eating and drinking at risk of aspiration
Dr Linda Wilson, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust – Improving recognition and care coordination of patients at the end of life
Norwich GCA service, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Improving the care of patients with giant cell arteritis.

Research award

Rewards original research that has contributed to, or has the potential to contribute to, significant improvements in health outcomes or the quality of patient care. We welcome entries on unpublished works.

Health in schools, University Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust – Trainee healthcare professionals as leaders of health education in schools: Health in schools
Newcastle University, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and the Northern Region Endoscopy Group – Delivering world-leading endoscopy research across the UK
PROFILE trial team, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Driving towards personalised care in Crohn's disease.

Welfare and wellbeing award

Celebrates teams that have prioritised team and individual welfare in the form of flexible working, mindfulness and wellbeing, or team building activities to ensure staff are working at their best and continue to treat patients at the best of their ability.

Dr Jabed F Ahmed, The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – You’ve been Mugged! – peer to peer positive feedback
‘Professionals together’ team, West Midlands Deanery – Professionals together scheme
Dr Umakant Dave, Morriston Hospital, Swansea University – Mindfulness and wellbeing.

Contribution to the profession award

Given to an RCP member at any stage of their medical career who has demonstrated excellence in their professional life so far. This can be in the development of clinical services, educational support or in the pastoral care of their patients and colleagues.

Dr Amit Arora – consultant physician and geriatrician
Professor Harvinder (Reena) Kaur Sidhu – gastroenterologist
Dr Mayank Patel – consultant physician in diabetes
Professor Opinder Sahota – consultant in general and geriatric medicine.

The winners will be announced online during a dedicated week of celebrations in May. We will share full details closer to the time. Throughout the week, the winners of each category will be announced, culminating with the coveted ‘Contribution to the profession’ award. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to take part in celebrating our members and fellows many achievements, using the hashtag #EPCA2020.