The awards ceremony, which is organised by NHS Confederation, NHS Providers and the Centre for Health Communication Research (CHCR), was presented by comedian Jo Caulfield and provided an opportunity to celebrate excellence in the NHS communications profession.

The awards celebrate innovation in the sector and demonstrate the positive impact that communications professionals have on patient outcomes and delivering more effective services.

Daniel Reynolds, director of communications at NHS Confederation said: “We’re proud to be able to celebrate excellence in health care communications and this year’s awards have again showcased the considerable talent we have within the profession. The work of communicators is rarely given the credit it deserves and, along with our partners at NHS Providers and the CHCR, we are delighted to able to help raise awareness of their achievements and to share best practice across the profession.”

Adam Brimelow, director of communications at NHS Providers said: “NHS communicators have played such an important role in support of colleagues, patients and their communities through some of the toughest times in the history of the NHS. We’re delighted to promote and celebrate their achievements. Once again we had some inspirational submissions this year and these awards present an opportunity for us as a profession to recognise, celebrate and learn from their achievements. We look forward now to the NHS Communicate conference on 1 February.”

John Underwood, director of CHCR, said, “The NHS Communicate Awards and the NHS Communicate Conference are rapidly becoming important points in the NHS calendar.  It’s good to sense a growing realisation across the NHS that in difficult and challenging times top-class professional communication is an essential skill that all NHS organisations need.”

The winners for each category on the evening were:

• Behaviour change: #Don’tMissYourVaccine – NHS South East London CCG
• Outstanding Contribution: Anna Shaw, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
• Insight and Data: A Change of Heart - Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Board Commitment: Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Digital: Increasing pharmacy use through our targeted footfall tracking campaign - South West London Health and Care Partnership
• Promoting Diversity: Stop, Challenge, Change - Birmingham Women's and Children's NHSFT
• Health and Wellbeing: Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust
• Partnership Working: Outrun an Ambulance collaborative charity campaign
• Internal Communications and Staff Engagement: Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
• Charity: Buy Addenbrookes A Robot Campaign - Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust
• Rising Star category:
  • Brad Grant – Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust
  • Dannielle Houston – South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
  • Megan Crank – Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
  • Sam Puleston – North East London NHS Foundation Trust
  • Sophie DiMauro – Bradford District and Craven Reducing Inequalities in Communities Programme.