HSJ Awards is a annual media recognizing excellence in Healthcare. Organized by HSJ (Health Service Journal), it covers the Europe region. Established in 1981.
The HSJ Awards are the national platform for NHS best practice, run by HSJ (Health Service Journal), the UK's leading title for healthcare leaders. The 2025 edition marked the program's 45th year, dating it to 1981 and making it one of the longest-running healthcare awards anywhere. Entries are independently judged by senior leaders from across the UK health system — a panel drawn from NHS executives, clinicians and policy figures — and HSJ states the awards' reputation 'resonates at board level, shapes the thinking of system leaders and reaches the corridors of Westminster.'
The 2026 program spans 26 categories grouped under three themes: Excellence in Patient Care and Innovation, Leadership and Workforce Development, and Tackling Health Inequalities and Community Impact. Categories range from Patient Safety Award and Trust of the Year to newer entries such as Using AI to Enhance Care Quality and Efficiency and Clinical Pathway Redesign. Each category names a single winner from a published shortlist, and for NHS organizations a win is a board-level credential that is routinely cited in trust annual reports, recruitment and system-leadership careers. Sister programs (HSJ Partnership Awards, HSJ Patient Safety Awards, HSJ Digital Awards) serve suppliers and specialist audiences.
Entry is free — HSJ confirms there is no charge for submitting work. The program is aimed primarily at NHS and public-sector healthcare organizations, though private organizations may submit projects on behalf of healthcare clients. Entries are structured around five criteria sections of up to 400 words each plus supporting evidence uploads, so quantified outcomes data, evidence of collaboration and a credible plan for scaling are what separate winners. The annual cycle runs from entries in the spring to a shortlist announcement in August (10 August in 2026) and a winners' ceremony in London in November (19 November 2026 at Evolution London).