The health campaign was awarded the top prize in the Public Sector category of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Wessex Pride Awards

The Arming Portsmouth against Cervical Cancer aimed to maximise uptake of the HPV vaccination. It helped Portsmouth achieve more than a 90 per cent uptake in the 12 to 13 year old age group, placing it in the country's top ten.

Tracy Sanders, chief executive of NHS Portsmouth, said: 'I'm delighted that the talent and commitment of our teams has meant Portsmouth has been recognised by the CIPR.

'Our strong performance against regional and national averages is thanks to both excellent operational implementation and the strong communications campaign.'

The communications team at NHS Portsmouth worked with the public health team on the campaign. Judges at the CIPR said the campaign was creative and commended it for gaining the support of the Pompey Ladies football team, as role models.

>> Vote in our latest web poll.