WINNER

NHS Greater Manchester and Manchester University FT

Improving Opioid Stewardship

Greater Manchester’s ICB established system-wide governance and infrastructure to improve opioid stewardship and reduce avoidable harm across a population of just over 3 million people. Partners created unified ICB reporting routes, opioid safety KPIs, shared education resources and the GMMMG Pain Management Hub. Standardised opioid discharge communication standards introduced reduce variation and strengthened safety at transitions of care. Coordinated through the formation of the Greater Manchester Pain Collaborative, this work provides sustained cross-sector leadership, say organisers. The programme has delivered reductions in unsafe prescribing and improved patient safety in opioid use across the system.

Read a detailed case study about this project at HSJ Best Practice.

Highly commended

Barts Health Trust: Rapid Access Penicillin Allergy De-Labelling Pathway: Correcting an Inaccurate Allergy Label to Restore Safe Prescribing

Finalists

London North West University Healthcare Trust: Post-discharge Counselling Project

North Tees and Hartlepool FT: TIMELY Approach: Redesigning Frontline Workflow to Reduce Avoidable Harm from Time Critical Medicines

Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust: A Safer Future for Patients with Severe Mental Health Illness: Integrating Pharmacy Expertise Across Community Mental Health Teams

Greater Manchester ICB Manchester Locality Medicines Optimisation Team: Promoting Safe Opioid Prescribing and Deprescribing in Primary Care

Centre for Sustainable Healthcare & Oxford Health FT: Green Nursing Challenge: Comprehensive Reviews for Patients on Insulin, Including the Use of Continuous Monitoring Technology

University of Leicester Hospitals, Rheumatology team: Improving Timelines for Rheumatology Patients Starting Biologic Medication

Birmingham Community Healthcare FT: Eliminating Risk Through Design: A Digital Solution for Sodium Valproate in Community Learning Disability Services

Topics

HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2026: Winners revealed

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The winners of the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2026 were announced last night, recognising outstanding efforts to make care safer.