WINNER

Central and North West London FT

A Collaborative Approach to Improving Patient Safety in CNWL Mental Health Inpatients

The CNWL NHS Therapeutic Observation and Engagement Collaborative aimed to improve therapeutic engagement and reduce the use of enhanced observation across Adult, Older Adult, and CAMHS inpatient services. Launched in November 2024, the improvement collaborative brought together 18 multidisciplinary teams to reduce restrictive interventions and embed therapeutic engagement. The outcomes have been compelling: a 23 per cent decrease in violence and aggression incidents, alongside a 37 per cent reduction in observation-related staffing expenditure. These results demonstrate that safety and financial sustainability are not competing priorities, but complementary ones, offering meaningful learning for mental health services.

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

Highly commended

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health FT: ELEVATE Youth Outreach Team

Finalists

Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital: Early Optimisation, Personalised Treatment and Ultra-Enhanced Recovery in Colorectal Surgery

Health Innovation Wessex: Early Breast Milk Project – The Importance of Flange Sizing in Promoting Maternal Breast Milk for Preterm Babies

Barts Health Trust: Implementing Bedside Electronic Transfusion Checks at Four Hospitals at Barts Health NHS Trust

Imperial College Healthcare Trust: Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Barnsley Hospital FT: Decaf by Default: A Hospital-Wide Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Falls, Improve Sleep and Enhance Continence Through Decaffeinated Drinks as Standard Care

Dartford and Gravesham Trust: Transforming Outcomes for Patients with Alcohol Dependency Through a Multidisciplinary Alcohol Care Team Model

South East London ICB and South London Office of Specialised Services: Re-engaging People Living with HIV Not in Care: A System-Wide Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Harm

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.