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HCT SHORTLISTED FOR 2024 HSJ DIGITAL AWARDS: Celebrating excellence in digitising, connecting, and transforming health and care

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT) is delighted to announce that the Trust has been shortlisted for “Driving Change through AI and Automation” at the 2024 HSJ Digital Awards. (The awards recognise innovative digital projects transforming care delivery, enhancing efficiency, and improving patient outcomes).

The Trust has been shortlisted for it’s Digital Referral in and Automation to SystmOne project, which has involved the digitisation of the referral process to the Trust’s children and young people’s integrated therapy service (CYPT).

343 entries have been received for this year’s Digital Awards, with 165 projects and individuals making it to the final shortlist. The high volume - and exceptional quality – of applications once again mirrors the impressive levels of innovation and care continually being developed across the UK’s healthcare system.

Following the thorough judging process, HCT was shortlisted, ahead of the official awards ceremony to be held on 6 June 2024, with its Digital Referral in and Automation to SystmOne project standing out as a real ‘success story’, making the panel’s shortlist.

HCT recognises the contribution that better use of digital technology can make to improve the patient journey and support productivity challenges within the NHS. Increased pressure to deliver better quality patient care whilst complying with CQC regulatory requirements, the digitisation of our services’ referral forms and automated registration to the electronic patient record has led to improved efficiencies, endorsing the Trust’s digital front door.

Simon Carey, Deputy Director of Technology & Innovation at HCT, said: “We are delighted to make the shortlist! Being a finalist for the Driving Change through AI and Automation Award in the HSJ Digital Awards 2024 will be a well-deserved recognition for hard working project team, for our CYPT service and all colleagues across the Trust who have supported this important piece of work.

"It also speaks to the Trust’s values to be ‘agile’, ’caring’, and ‘innovative’, ensuring we support CYPT’s work delivering holistic support for children and young people across Hertfordshire, west Essex and East of England.

“Our staff always go above and beyond to improve patient outcomes and quality of service and care – and aligning with the HSJ Digital Awards programme really allows us to share our success as well as everything we’ve learnt through implementing our project.”

HSJ editor Alastair McLellan, adds; “It always gives me great pleasure to congratulate our finalists at this stage of the judging process and this year is no exception as we acknowledge for being shortlisted in the category of “Driving Change through AI and Automation”.

“We can’t wait to welcome our finalists to the awards ceremony in June, celebrating their impressive achievements and jointly acknowledging our values of sharing best practice, improving patient outcomes and continuously driving for better service.”

The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Manchester Central on 6th June 2024.

The 2024 awards judging panel was made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, including; Olubukola (Buki) Adeyemo, Chief Executive, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, Hatim Abdulhussein, National Clinical Lead, AI and Digital Workforce (WT&E), NHS England, Dame Margaret Whitehead, Chair, Independent Review Equity in Medical Devices and Luke Readman, Regional Director of Digital Transformation, NHS England (London).

The full list of nominees for the 2024 HSJ Digital Awards can be found at https://digitalawards.hsj.co.uk/