Commitment to patient safety recognised with three national award shortlists
Three teams at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) have made the shortlist for the 2026 HSJ Patient Safety Awards - recognising people, teams and organisations who are going above and beyond to make care safer for patients.
Colleagues across the Trust are committed to patient safety. From improving the way clinical teams access shared learning to improve patient care, spotting and treating bowel cancer earlier to delivering life-saving CPR training to diverse community groups who face poorer health outcomes - teams across the Trust are saving lives and improving outcomes for patients.
Who are our shortlisted teams?
South Derbyshire Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
The South Derbyshire Bowel Cancer Screening Programme has been recognised in the Neighbourhood and Community Health Safety Initiative of the Year category for its work to improve uptake of life-saving screening.
By working closely with patients in our local community, the team have helped more people access life-saving testing, diagnosis and treatment for bowel cancer faster. Using an at-home testing kit and targeting people in the community that are at highest risk of getting bowel cancer - the team have helped thousands access testing (opens in new window) > .
This incredible work has helped to save lives, including people like Dad-of-two, Andy > , Anthony and Rich > who both received cancer treatment after their bowel cancer was detected from an at-home testing kit.
Resuscitation and Simulation Team
Two trainers, Nichola Lightfoot and Nicole Abbott are shortlisted for the Improving Safety and Outcomes for Minority Ethnic Communities category, recognising their work to deliver life-saving CPR training to different communities across Derbyshire who are less likely to receive it, helping to improve survival from cardiac arrests - which is when your heart suddenly stops beating.
The team have helped these community groups build confidence and knowledge on how to do CPR in an emergency, and shared information about ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment), which is a digital system that captures a person's personal wishes for healthcare teams to access during future emergencies. Read more about this work tackling preventable differences in care across out communities (opens in new window) >.
Quality and Safety Learning Portal
The team behind an internal learning platform called, the Quality and Safety Learning Portal (QSL) are shortlisted in the Developing a Positive Safety Culture Award category for their work to share timely and valuable lessons, recommendations and best practice in patient care on an accessible online platform for all Trust colleagues to access and learn from.
The Quality and Safety Learning Portal is an online platform that is part of the Trust’s intranet where staff share reflections and blogs to help others learn from incidents, lessons learnt and best practice. Because the Trust is large, with five hospitals and over 14,000 staff, the portal makes it easier for colleagues to access learning in one place. By sharing learning openly, teams can make changes that improve patient safety.
Recognising outstanding work to improve safety and outcomes
These three projects together reflect the focus we have across UHDB to deliver safer, more equitable care.
Dr Gis Robinson, Chief Medical Officer, said, “At UHDB, improving patient safety and reducing health inequalities is at the heart of everything we do, and these initiatives show the difference that commitment is making.
“Whether it’s helping people access life-saving screening, equipping communities with vital skills, or strengthening how we learn as an organisation, this work is transforming care for our patients and communities.
“I’m incredibly proud of our teams and the role they are playing in shaping a safer, fairer NHS.”
Winners will be announced at the ceremony on 28 September this year, you can see the full shortlist on the HSJ Patient Safety Awards website (opens in new window) >.