Innovation in Care

The Innovation in Care award recognises the work of an individual or team in a hospice or palliative care organisation who, through a novel approach, has improved the experience of people with a progressive and life threatening condition, their families and carers.

We'll be announcing our winners on Thursday 23 November at 5.10pm - follow our Facebook page for a live video stream!

All staff can enter, including social workers, complementary therapists, allied health professionals as well as clinical staff.

We are interested in projects that have found new ways to:

• Identify people who can benefit from hospice and palliative care.
• Plan and provide care or approach a challenging care issue.

Particular value will be placed on innovations which have improved one or more of the following:

• Access to care.
• Treatment of troublesome symptoms.
• Resolution of psychosocial and spiritual distress.
• The opportunities for people to receive care in-line with cultural, religious, social or other preferences.
• The opportunities for people to receive care in the place of their choice.
• Bereavement outcomes.
• Engagement of users in the planning, organisation and evaluation of services.

General criteria and guidance

1. Enter by completing the Hospice UK Awards entry form.
2. Entries will consist of an introductory statement of 650 characters (including spaces) followed by a statement of no more than 3,500 characters (including spaces), as to why the entrant feels his or her organisation should win. The statement should be based on the information outlined below. Entrants may also submit supporting information such as relevant literature, media coverage, etc.  Extra info should be e-mailed to grants@hospiceuk.org clearly identifying which entry it refers to.
3. Each entry will be judged by a panel appointed by Hospice UK.
4. Each category will have a winner, with no runners up.
5. Full Members and Subscribers of Hospice UK are eligible to enter.
6. No one employed by Hospice UK may enter the awards.
7. Projects should have been initiated or be completed during the twelve month period up to end August 2017.
8. By entering these awards, entrants agree to work with Hospice UK to develop a case study about their project which can be shared with other hospices.
9. In certain circumstances, if the standard of entries is considered not high enough, the judges may elect not to make a particular award.
10. The closing date for entries in all categories has been extended to 27 September 2017.
11. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence can be entered into.

Suggested information to include in your entry

How original was the innovation?

• Was it a new concept or a variation of an existing idea?
• Was it developed independently or in cooperation with others?
• Did the project improve any of the areas listed in the above bullet points?

What was the impact of the innovation?

• Was there a measurable benefit to users?
• Could elements of the project be applied to other parts of the organisation or care processes?

Applicability

• Can this innovation be applied to other hospice and palliative care organisations?