NEW: Digital Clinical Safety Initiative of the Year

HSJ patient safety
NEW: Digital Clinical Safety Initiative of the Year
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Digital technologies - from electronic health records to clinical decision support, automation tools, and AI-enabled systems - play an increasing role in modern healthcare. When used safely, they have the potential to reduce avoidable harm, strengthen clinical decision-making, improve communication, and optimise the reliability of care pathways. However, digital transformation also brings new risks, including system usability issues, algorithmic errors, data quality problems, and unintended patient safety consequences.

This award recognises organisations, teams, or collaborations that have demonstrably enhanced patient safety through the safe design, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of digital technologies. Judges will be looking for initiatives that have embedded safety-by-design principles, promoted robust governance, supported staff in using digital systems safely, and delivered measurable improvements in patient safety outcomes.

Eligibility

Entries are welcomed from all NHS organisations, systems, partnerships, primary care providers, and other public-sector health and care bodies.

Ambition

  • Describe the digital patient safety challenges facing your organisation or system, particularly in relation to rapid digital transformation, complex clinical workflows, data integrity, or AI-enabled tools.
  • Identify the need for improvement and outline the steps taken to design and implement safety-focused digital initiatives.
  • Explain governance arrangements, including who holds accountability for digital clinical safety and how safety considerations are balanced with rapid innovation and deployment.
  • Outline the goals, safeguards, and measures of success used to ensure new or existing digital technologies are safe for patients.

Outcome

  • Provide evidence of measurable improvements in patient safety directly attributable to the digital initiative.
  • Include quantitative data where possible (e.g., reduced medication errors, improved accuracy of clinical alerts, lower rates of miscommunication, reduced delays, fewer system-related incidents) as well as qualitative insights such as staff feedback, patient feedback, or evidence of safer workflow integration.
  • Demonstrate how clinical risk assessment processes, incident reporting, learning responses, and post-implementation monitoring have strengthened digital clinical safety across the organisation or system.
  • Show compliance with relevant standards and guidance such as DTAC, data security requirements, and medical device safety frameworks.

Value

  • Demonstrate the impact of the digital initiative on patient experience, staff efficiency, and safe clinical decision-making
  • Where possible, outline value creation such as reduced avoidable harm, enhanced reliability, decreased downtime, improved workflow efficiency, or reductions in investigatory or litigation costs.
  • Explain how embedding digital clinical safety has contributed to the wider organisational or system vision for patient safety and long-term quality improvement..

Spread

  • Provide evidence of how learning, tools, or safety practices have been shared within the organisation or across system partners.
  • Show how digital clinical safety improvements have been replicated, scaled, or adapted for use in other departments, pathways, or organisations.
  • Describe efforts to build a culture of continuous learning, supported by feedback loops, safety events, and ongoing reviews of digital risk.

Involvement

  • Describe how patients, staff, clinical teams, digital specialists, and technology partners were involved in the design, testing, or implementation of the initiative.
  • Provide evidence of active collaboration that ensured risks were identified, communicated, and mitigated effectively across the organisation or system.
  • Show how patients, carers, and members of the public were placed at the centre of digital safety decision-making, including through co-design, transparent communication, or user-focused testing

To find out more

Partnership opportunities:  Sponsorship Sales Team
Awards entry enquiries: Delegate Sales Team
Judging and event management: Awards Support