The HSJ Digital Awards, held 26 June at The ICC in Birmingham, celebrate the power of digital initiatives to transform patient care, improve access to services, and deliver more efficient, equitable healthcare. Tower Hamlets Community Health Services (CHS) Clinical Director, Dr Alex Harborne, was recognised for her work in leading the digital quality improvement (QI) project, ‘Improving communication between ELFT Community Health Services and GP teams in Tower Hamlets’ from May 2022 to July 2024 which impressed the judges with its impactful innovation and scalability.
A team of staff and patients assisted Dr Harborne, who worked closely with GPs and system partners to co-create a new website, electronic referral and podcast series for GPs. The digital improvements led to increased website views, improved referrals and co-development of a new process to learn together with primary care from patient safety events.
In September 2024, a ‘Cluster Review’ of insulin incidents took place with system partners with key recommendations for improvement.
“I’m incredibly honoured to have been highly commended in the HSJ Digital Innovator of the Year category!” said Dr Harborne. “A huge thank you to my amazing team, the patients, and the partnerships that have made this possible. This award is a testament to the collective effort, innovation, and dedication we’ve all put in at Tower Hamlets CHS. Special thanks to Alex Hadayah for joining me in Birmingham to receive the award in person."
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This national recognition underscores ELFT’s role as a digital leader within the NHS and wider healthcare community, and highlights the importance of innovation, collaboration, and patient-centric design in driving forward digital transformation.
The HSJ Digital Awards received a record number of entries this year, reflecting the scale and pace of digital innovation taking place across UK health and care settings.
For more information about the awards, visit: https://digitalawards.hsj.co.uk