Double award win for Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust at inaugural HSJ Digital prize-giving

The awards recognise excellence in digitising, connecting, and transforming health and care.

The Maternity Intelligent Automation Transformation Programme, a partnership between the IT Department and Maternity Services at PHU, with support from partners Digital Workforce and PSTG, won the award for ‘Improving Back-Office Efficiencies through Digital’.

The eConsent Project, a partnership between the IT Department and Research at PHU, won the category for ‘Empowering Patients through Digital’ alongside their partners at Concentric Health.

Present at the ceremony in Manchester were 162 shortlisted finalists in 19 categories from across 120 individual Trusts and organisations.

The HSJ’s new digital awards are borne from a sector-wide desire to champion the power of digital, data and technology in revolutionising care delivery, enhancing efficiency, and overall, improving patient outcomes.

The judging panel comprised a diverse range of figures across the NHS and wider healthcare sector, stemming from clinical, leadership and digital roles.

This is what they said abou the PHU winners:

Improving Back-Office Efficiencies through Digital

‘A beautifully presented entry that highlighted the delivery of an effective solution to an important issue. The judges felt that it is clear how much of an impact this model has had on maximising clinical time for staff, and they recognise the knock-on patient benefits from this. This model is easily scalable, and the clear development plan impressed the panel.’

Empowering Patients through Digital

‘A remarkable illustration of how digital tools can enhance the patient experience and contribute to safer practices for organisations, staff, and patients. The evident passion for improving patient outcomes truly shines through, and the judges were impressed by the clear demonstration of strong leadership and active engagement.’

Phil Kenney, Chief Digital Officer at PHU, said: ‘We are thrilled to receive the prestigious awards for our efforts in improving back-office efficiencies and empowering patients through digital innovation.

‘These accolades validate our commitment to aligning our digital strategy with national policy and showcasing the significant benefits it brings to both patients and staff.

‘We are proud of the strides we have made in leveraging technology to enhance healthcare outcomes and look forward to continuing our digital journey with even greater determination."

HSJ editor Alastair McLellan added: ‘There’s little doubt that digital services and tech innovation is important to the future of the NHS and brings with it much promise for improved patient experience as well as cost efficiencies and staff morale.

‘It was no surprise to us that the level and quality of entries in the inaugural HSJ Digital Awards were absolutely outstanding, presenting our panel of judges with some difficult decisions.

‘PHU really did stand out amongst some tough competition, every one of whom demonstrated incredible innovation and strategic thinking about how to navigate our health services through this current tech revolution.’

The winners were selected following a rigorous two-stage judging process by a group of 56 judges ahead of the awards ceremony.