Derry's North West Cancer Centre celebrate prestigious award

The Pharmacy Team at the North West Cancer Centre, Altnagelvin Hospital are celebrating success in the annual HSJ Patient Safety Awards which recognise outstanding achievements and innovations in improving patient safety across the UK healthcare sector.

The winners of the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2025 were announced at Manchester Central Convention Complex, where more than 1,000 people gathered to celebrate excellence in patient safety across the NHS.

With 213 finalists competing across 25 categories, the evening once again highlighted the innovation and commitment of healthcare professionals determined to improve standards of care.

The HSJ Patient Safety Awards are among the most respected accolades in the healthcare community, celebrating teams and organisations that go above and beyond to protect patients and improve safety standards. This year, the Awards received 456 entries, with 216 projects shortlisted, and just 25 winners selected by a panel of expert judges.

Among the categories this year were patient safety through technology and data, urgent and emergency care safety, and medication safety. There were also awards for maternity and neonatal services and the management of deteriorating patients.

A huge congratulations to the North West Cancer Centre (NWCC), Pharmacy Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Macmillan Cancer Support, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) who were announced winners of the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2025: Improving Care for Older People Initiative of the Year Award for the Development and Refinement of an Innovative Model to Improve Medication Safety and Medicines Optimisation in Older People with Cancer.

The Western Trust previously established a consultant pharmacist-led Medicines Optimisation in Older People (MOOP) case management service, which demonstrated improvements in prescribing appropriateness, reduced medication burden, and fewer unplanned healthcare episodes.

The judging panel described this as an outstanding project making a meaningful difference in the lives of older people. The team truly lives and breathes their values, showing deep commitment and compassion. Their responsiveness to patient needs, combined with a clear impact on systems savings makes this a truly deserving winner.

Building on this success, when Northern Ireland’s first consultant cancer pharmacist was appointed in 2016, they collaborated with the MOOP team to create a specialist pharmacy service within cancer care. Together, they developed an outpatient service providing patient-centred, goal-oriented medicines optimisation specifically for older cancer patients.

Daryl Connolly, Head of Pharmacy and Medicine Management at the Western Trust said: “I am delighted with the success of our incredible pharmacy team working at the North West Cancer Centre. It is a privilege to work along with such dedicated, innovative and committed healthcare professionals who continue to provide the highest standard of care and support to our patients. Well done everyone we are very proud of your achievements!”

Hossam Abdulkhalek, DCD Cancer and Clinical Services at the Western Trust said: “We are incredibly honoured to receive this prestigious award. This recognition serves as a testament to the unwavering dedication demonstrated by the entire team.

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"As we look to the future, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and excellence and set new standards in the entire region. Congratulations to all involved.”

Now in its 15th year, the HSJ Patient Safety Awards shine a spotlight on organisations driving forward patient safety and fostering a culture of continuous improvement across the NHS and independent healthcare providers.

HSJ Editor Alastair McLellan said: “The HSJ Patient Safety Awards are a vital platform for celebrating the efforts of healthcare staff who continually strive to reduce risk and protect patients. This year’s winners have shown remarkable innovation, resilience, and commitment to improving outcomes for patients, and they should be incredibly proud of their achievements.”