Local NHS teams shortlisted for prestigious digital awards

NHS teams in Lancashire and South Cumbria have been recognised for their pioneering work by being shortlisted for prestigious industry awards.

The highly-regarded Health Service Journal (HSJ) Digital Awards take place in Manchester this summer, with teams behind two local projects in the running.

The Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) Careers and Engagement team has been shortlisted in the 'Connecting Health and Social Care through Digital' category, for its promotion of careers across health and social care, apprenticeships, and delivering employability programmes.

Made up of five careers teams across the region working in partnership, the team developed www.nhscareersnw.co.uk in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of school and college engagement opportunities. The aim was to have the ability to signpost all communities to one single place for all career information, including programmes and placements, including how to apply.

Ruth Keeler, strategic lead for careers and apprenticeships at the ICB, said: “We are absolutely over the moon with the shortlisting of our website and our ASPIRE e-learning programme.

“It is recognition of four-and-a-half years’ work; to date, our website has engaged with over 2.5 million people which for us means we have reached a significant number of people and supported them to find out more information about careers in health and care.

“We see the HSJ Digital nomination as recognition for our team's hard work and are thrilled to be able to raise the profile and share the work on a broader landscape.”

Also in the running for the ‘Improving Mental Health through Digital’ award are colleagues from Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust (LSCft) for their work on implementing truly person-centred and collaborative care in Mental Health services.

The ‘Tipping the Balance’ project includes the roll-out of a clinical model called DIALOG+ that captures outcome measures that help improve care and encourages person-centred and recovery-focused practice.

LSCft’s chief nurse and quality officer, Oliver Soriano, said: “We are incredibly proud of being shortlisted.

“The DIALOG+ project aims transform the delivery of mental health care across Lancashire and South Cumbria into truly collaboratively planned care with people accessing our services supported them in leading their own care by telling us what is important to them to support their individual recovery.”

The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Manchester Central on 6 June 2024. The full list of nominees for the 2024 HSJ Digital Awards can be found at digitalawards.hsj.co.uk