Two teams shortlisted for national awards

Two teams at Medway Maritime Hospital have been shortlisted in the HSJ Awards 2026.

The Virtual Hospital service is a finalist in the ‘Acute Sector Innovation of the Year’ category. Also making the shortlist in the NHS Race Equality award is the ‘Jaundice in darker skin tone babies programme’ which aims to address inequalities in neonatal jaundice in babies with darker skin tones through co-production, education and partnership.

Led by our Surgical, Medical and Acute Recovery Team (SMART), the Virtual Hospital enables people who would otherwise need a hospital bed to receive hospital-level care in the comfort of their own home, safely supported by remote monitoring technology, daily virtual ward rounds, and rapid escalation when needed.

Originally launched during the Covid pandemic as a ‘hospital at home’ service supporting up to 30 patients between 8am and 8pm, the service has grown considerably. It now operates as a 150-bed Virtual Hospital available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, helping more patients receive care outside a traditional ward setting, easing pressure on inpatient beds and enhancing the patient experience.

This innovative approach was recently recognised nationally, winning the Delivering Value Award at the inaugural NHS Excellence Awards back in June.

Tracy Stocker, Director of Operations for Flow and Integration, said: “The Virtual Hospital has transformed the way some of our patients are cared for and builds on the national direction set out in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, which aims to deliver more care in the community and at home.

“Virtual wards offer many benefits – many patients recover quicker and better in their own environment, with doctors and nurses remotely monitoring and checking vital observations like temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate.”

Consultant Neonatologist Dr Helen Gbinigie and Dr Oghenetega Edokpolor from the Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit, worked with the NHS Race and Health Observatory to develop a national toolkit for midwives and neonatal clinicians to improve screening for jaundice, raise awareness, and reduce healthcare disparities. This followed a national review which highlighted the urgent need for resources to help healthcare professionals identify jaundice in Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) newborns.

An online webinar called ‘Jaundice in darker skin tone babies’ was also created by Dr Gbinigie to train healthcare professionals who care for newborns, and their families, how to diagnose the condition.

Parents Jaundice Guide Helen And Tega 3 Original

The two doctors also created a guide to help parents understand and recognise jaundice in babies with darker skin tones.

Dr Gbinigie said: “Jaundice is a common newborn condition which affects six in 10 term infants and eight in 10 babies born prematurely, before the 37th week of pregnancy.

“It presents as yellowing of the skin in babies with paler skin tones and is easily treatable if detected early. However, jaundice can appear differently in babies with darker skin tones, making it harder to detect and increasing the risk of delayed diagnosis and treatment.”

Dr Edokpolor, who is an ST6 neonatal trainee*, said: “It started off at first about enlightening healthcare workers, but it’s important that everyone is able to recognise neonatal jaundice to improve outcomes and prevent avoidable, irreversible brain damage caused by delayed treatment in all babies.”

More than 1,300 entries were received for this year’s HSJ Awards, with 231 projects and individuals reaching the final shortlist.

The winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at Evolution London on Thursday 19 November 2026.

Siobhan Callanan, Interim Chief Executive, said: “Whatever the result ‘on the night’, we already feel like winners for getting this far and are so proud to have the opportunity to share our successes with colleagues from across the entire sector.”

* an ST6 neonatal trainee is someone who is in year six of their speciality training to become a neonatology consultant instead of a general paediatrician.

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