HSJ's Best of 2016: awards and leadership lists

HSJ Top Chief Executives

In March, Sir David Dalton was ranked number 1 in our list of the 50 top provider chief executives. Sir David, who was topping the list for the third consecutive year, was recognised for his national influence and local success. Our judges said: “His trust is regularly cited – by the prime minister downwards – as an example of good practice, especially around seven day working.” He was appointed to simultaneously lead Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust later the same month. 

Second on our list was Dame Julie Moore, chief executive of University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust and Heart of England FT, who we said would not “shy away from this chance to tackle some of the long running problems in Birmingham”.

The list recognised those who have been celebrated at their trust and beyond in the preceeding 12 months. HSJ’s editor Alastair McLellan wrote: “One of the most sought after characteristics of chief executives of the future is likely to be the ability to lead and influence across a health economy, drawing in partners from the voluntary and private sector as well as trusts and local authorities.”  

• Alastair McLellan: The influencers on our list hold sway across the health economy
• HSJ Top Chief Executives 2016: the list in full

Value in Healthcare Awards

At May’s Value in Healthcare Awards we were able to present 20 outstanding examples of organisations and teams meeting the value challenge. This came in a year in which the spotlight on efficiency was particularly intense: the £22bn Five Year Forward View savings target; the Carter review; agency staffing. 

Winners ranged from an app to more accurately identify babies likely to be born prematurely, to a communications campaign seeking to reduce millennials’ inappropriate use of accident and emergency, to multiple projects improving care for frail older people.

Value in Healthcare Awards 2016: all the winners

Patient Safety Awards

The 2016 Patient Safety Awards highlighted some recurring themes: that improvements are possible in an age of austerity; the growing use of formal quality improvement methodologies to demonstrate the results; and that four of the 18 winners came from Lancashire.

• Read about all the Patient Safety Awards winners
• Detailed case studies from all the finalists are available now at HSJ Solutions

HSJ100

November’s HSJ100 – our 10th annual ranking of the most influential people in health – saw Simon Stevens come out on top once again. But the NHS England chief executive was nearly pushed off the top spot by Jeremy Hunt.

“What a difference a year makes,” wrote Alastair McLellan, “Mr Hunt has become the longest serving health secretary, beating Alan Milburn’s record, and could now feasibly go on to surpass Lord Fowler as Britain’s longest serving senior health minister. He has received the backing of the new prime minister, after skilfully playing the politics of Brexit and, most significantly of all, emerged triumphant in the junior doctors’ contract dispute.” 

But Stevens remained number 1 for two reasons: “First, because the forward view and all that flows from it is still seen as the best chance of reaching a sustainable future for the service, and second because Mr Stevens is still widely considered the best person for the job.” 

• HSJ100 2016

HSJ Awards

A standing ovation for six members of NHS staff from EU countries was the highlight of this year’s awards ceremony. The HSJ EU Staff Award, sponsored by NHS Employers, was launched in the wake of the referendum on 23 June to recognise the contribution that workers from around the European Union make to the NHS. In a break from HSJ Awards tradition, all six people on the shortlist were named as winners. 

In his opening speech at the ceremony, Alastair McLellan praised the contribution of all NHS staff. He said: “Over the last 35 years, the HSJ Awards have grown to become the largest celebration of healthcare excellence in the UK – and very probably the biggest healthcare awards in the world.

It has done so for one reason above all: the dedication of NHS staff from every discipline and every sector to drive improvements which benefit patient care and strengthen a service which has become the defining characteristic of this nation.” 

Among the winners, Marianne Griffiths of Western Sussex Hospitals FT was named Chief Executive of the Year, Liverpool CCG was named Clinical Commissioning Group of the year and East London FT won the Provider Trust of the Year category.

• Read about all of the HSJ Awards winners
• Detailed case studies from all the finalists are available now at HSJ Solutions