Congratulations to our teams shortlisted at this year’s Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Awards. It’s a fantastic achievement and a recognition of the work being done to deliver safe care in a complex and pressured environment.

Here’s a closer look at our finalists:

A collaborative approach to improving patient safety for inpatient mental health services

Our Therapeutic Observation and Engagement Collaborative has been shortlisted in the Quality Improvement Initiative of the Year category.

The programme brought together 18 inpatient teams across adult, older adult and children and young people’s services to improve how enhanced observations are used. An enhanced observation is when a patient is closely monitored by staff (sometimes continuously) if they are at risk of harming themselves or others.

The results have been strong. Across the 18 wards, incidents of violence and aggression fell by 23%, and staffing costs linked to observations reduced by 37% - around £2.5 million.

Most importantly, the work has changed how teams think about care. Staff are moving away from using enhanced observation as the default and instead focusing more on meaningful engagement with patients. For example, some wards introduced exit plans to agree early on how and when a patient could step down from enhanced observation. On one ward, this reduced the average time patients spent on observations from 32 days to 12.

The learning is now being spread more widely. Simple tools like the ‘getting to know me’ card, which helps staff understand each patient as an individual, are becoming part of everyday practice.

Kim Cox, Divisional Director of Nursing said:

"Congratulations to everyone involved. Being shortlisted is a well-deserved recognition of your hard work and commitment. The sustained improvements achieved through this project are a clear reflection of its success and the collective effort of all those who have contributed along the way. Well done to you all."

One Community – a thriving, vibrant, grassroots and peer led social network, empowering people with mental health conditions to connect, build confidence and challenge stigma

One Community is celebrating a double success after being shortlisted in two categories at this year’s HSJ Patient Safety Awards; Mental Health Safety Improvement and Harnessing a Human Factors Approach to Improve Patient Safety. After making the shortlist last year, the network is back again in 2026 with even more momentum – and two chances to bring home a win.

One Community is a network that empowers people with mental health conditions to connect, build confidence and challenge stigma. Through a wide range of creative and social activities, including art, music, gardening, creative writing and peer-led conversations on topics like domestic abuse, suicide and self-harm, it has grown into a strong network where people form lasting friendships and a real sense of belonging – often staying connected long after leaving our services.

The brain child of Cate Latto, the work began at the acute mental health wards at St Charles Hospital, where patients and members of the community, family and friends came together, working with CNWL. Their work has grown in response to the need for people living in these boroughs who are living with mental health conditions, exacerbated by isolation, loneliness and inequality.

Cate said:

“I'm thrilled that One Community has been shortlisted in two categories. It is a testament to the power, value and innovation this unique peer network creates, and it’s a joy to share this with all our crew, who come together in connection. Being recognised at this level is both an honour, and a beautiful acknowledgement of the impact of this work, which inspires us to create even more, the One Community way. Thank you HSJ!”

Making every sample count: increasing STI screening in prison reception

Our sexual health team at HMP Bronzefield has been shortlisted for the Primary Care Safety Initiative of the Year.

People in prison are more likely to have undiagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STI) than the general population. If left untreated, these can lead to serious long-term health problems and increase the risk of spreading infections both in prison and after release.

Reception is the one point where we see everyone entering custody, making it a perfect opportunity for vital health checks. Urine samples are already collected on reception for drug screening and pregnancy tests, so they started using the same sample to test for STIs - with no extra appointments and no added burden for staff or patients.

Once the new process was in place, screening rates shot up to almost 99%, and far more previously undiagnosed infections were picked up and treated. It also removed the need for follow up clinics, which many people miss due to prison routines and restrictions.