Best and brightest to be recognised at the second Digital Health Awards

The best and brightest in the UK healthcare IT community are to be recognised at the second Digital Health Awards.

The awards, which form part of the Digital Health Summer Schools, celebrate the achievements of the leaders making the biggest contributions to UK healthcare IT and are the only awards judged and voted by the 3,000 plus members of Digital Health Networks.

The winners will be announced and presented at the networking dinner of the annual Digital Health Summer Schools, 18-19 July, University of Leeds.

As well as walking away with a prestigious trophy, winners will also receive a free place at next year’s Summer Schools in 2020.

The categories are as follows:

• Digital Health Networks CCIO of the Year
• Digital Health Networks CIO of the Year
• Digital Health Networks CNIO of the Year
• Future Digital Leader of the Year
• Digital Health Networks Team of the Year
• Outstanding Contribution

The 2018 winners included Dr Mark Westwood (CCIO of the Year) and Jackie Murphy (CNIO of the Year).

Jackie said: “I was thrilled to win the CNIO of the year 2018. It has provided me with a valuable opportunity to network nationally. It has enabled me to share my leadership story both in print and at conferences. Importantly it’s allowed me to bring the nursing voice to the digital transformation agenda.

“I would recommend CNIO’s apply in order that they can influence this important agenda for nurses and midwives as digital healthcare progresses at pace.”

Phillipa Winter (CIO of the Year), added that she had a “whirlwind” of a year since winning in 2018.

She added: “The awards has offered many new and exciting opportunities to me and for the informatics teams at Bolton NHS foundation Trust.

“Representing health informatics at a number of forums and presenting at events around the innovative work and putting team Bolton on the map.

“I would  encourage you all to nominate your inspirational CIO’s who demonstrate leadership and drive the core values to motivate an inclusive culture in driving health informatics.”

Andy Kinnear, director of digital transformation at NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit, was our winner in the Outstanding Contribution category.

He said: ” It is a wonderful and humbling experience to be recognised by your peers, especially for a contribution that goes beyond the requirements of the day job. I felt truly honoured. Moreover, it felt like a public vindication of the professionalism journey the digital health & care family is embarked on, a very open endorsement of that work and that felt like a wonderful reward for all the efforts of recent years. It also made my Mum very proud and that can only ever be a good thing.”

When asked about why people should nominate themselves or a colleague, Kinnear added: “I would encourage anyone considering nominating a colleague to make time to do so. You are gifting a much respected colleague the opportunity for recognition, for a moment in the limelight. Our jobs are difficult and so many people go above and beyond the call of duty. Take time to give the one you hold in highest regard the chance to have their efforts recognised publicly. Do it, do it now!”

Team of the Year was awarded to Scottish National Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Digital Network while Ella Worsdale took home the Future Digital Leader of the Year award.

Ella said: “It was a real honour to be nominated and awarded the first Future Digital Leaders award last year. I am really passionate about working in Health Informatics and about leadership so it is great to be recognised for the work I have done and the impact it has obviously had.

“You can’t under estimate how important receiving feedback is to help someone’s continuous development, so nominating someone deserving for an award is a great way to recognise the good work they do. For me it has been both humbling and motivating.”

Anyone can make a nomination for the awards but they are exclusively voted for by members of the Networks.

You have until 23:59 Friday 31 May to complete our online form and nominate yourself, a colleague or role model who professionally inspires you.

On the entry form you should include details of the work undertaken, how was it delivered, what its impact was with demonstrable evidence of the individual’s contributions, innovation and leadership skills and how it has benefited their department and wider organisation.

Facts, figures, examples and case studies to back up your claims wherever possible are welcomed.

Entries will be reviewed and shortlisted by a judging panel drawn from the Advisory Panels of the Networks and category sponsors, and will be followed by a round of voting by the members of the Networks.

The exception will be the Future Digital Leader of the Year and Team of the Year awards, which will be judged solely by the judging panel.

Online entries take just 5 minutes to complete. You can nominate here. You can also find out more information on the awards here.