West Hertfordshire was crowned NHS Trust of the Year by the Health Service Journal awards last night.
The Trust, which runs Watford General Hospital, Hemel Hempstead Hospital and St Albans City Hospital, also claimed the Performance Recovery Award in a memorable night for the Trust.
The HSJ awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious in the healthcare sector - with the Trust of the Year seen as the ultimate honour. Judges praised the Trust’s 'remarkable performance turnaround in multiple areas."
West Herts chief executive Matthew Coats, said winning the double, was recognition for the incredible hard work, dedication and passion of teams across the Trust.
"Everything we do is driven by a sense of public service and supporting our local communities - so we're there for them when they need us most. That’s what drives us day in and day out.
"I'm immensely proud of the progress we've made together as a Trust. We've significantly improved A&E waiting times, moving from 102nd best in the country a couple of years ago to now being consistently in the Top 10.
"Waiting lists have fallen by 26% over the last two years, surge beds and corridor care have been virtually eliminated, and we’ve dramatically cut spending on agency staff.”
West Herts Chair, Catherine Dugmore, added: "We know there's more to do and we will continue to be relentless in improving every aspect of what we do so we offer patients the best possible care, at all times. But these awards are a moment to celebrate and reflect on just how much progress we have made together. Every single person in this Trust has played a role in this success, in every department and on every site.”
The awards ceremony at Evolution London was hosted by comedian Rob Brydon and attended by 1700 healthcare professionals from across the UK. Now in its 45th year, the HSJ Awards celebrates outstanding achievements in health and social care, recognising teams and individuals who are driving innovation and improving patient outcomes.
This year's competition attracted 1,250 entries received, with 246 organisations, projects, and individuals shortlisted. Following two rigorous rounds of judging by a panel of more than 200 respected healthcare leaders, West Herts emerged as the winner in the two categories it entered.
Alastair McLellan, Editor of the Health Service Journal, commented: "The calibre of entries this year has been exceptional, making for some difficult decisions for our judging panel. West Herts stood out as a truly worthy winner in the Trust of the Year and Performance Recovery categories”.