PHIN values the contribution made by everyone in the healthcare sector to drive better outcomes for patients and each year at our Quality Forum we reward some of the most outstanding examples of this work.
Award shortlist and entry summaries
Innovation with a patient focus: Use of data, especially PROMs, with significant impact on patient outcomes and/or experience
Centre for Sight
Centre for Sight has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to improving patient outcomes through both clinical innovation and the effective use of patient outcome data. In 2026, it became the first organisation globally to perform the FLIGHT glaucoma procedure using the ViaLuxe® Laser System. The procedure can lessen treatment burden, improve the patient journey, and support earlier intervention for patients at risk of sight loss.
Alongside this pioneering clinical work, Centre for Sight has shown a strong commitment to transparency, data quality and patient-centred measurement. Despite being a relatively small independent provider, they achieved full PHIN compliance and implemented Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) collection across their services within a 12-month period.
HCA
HCA Healthcare UK systematically measure and track the outcomes that matter to its patients and use these data to inform the real-time care of individuals as well as to ensure world-class care for all patients.
HCA has expanded its routine outcomes collection from Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) pathways to adding additional value in areas including Surgical Site Infection monitoring. Where most hospitals have a very manual paper process and telephone follow-up for finding out if the patient has had any subsequent wound infection, through MCO, HCA leveraged their scalable digital solution and established reputation and benefit of collecting PHIN data, to maximise the value of the wider PROMs programme, and integrated platform architecture.
Spire Healthcare
Spire Healthcare has demonstrated how the use of excellent Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) innovation focused on an efficient, integrated and user-friendly patient journey and experience, can turn patient feedback into a meaningful part of the care journey – with a measurable impact on patient engagement.
Spire has made it significantly easier for more patients to share the information that only they can provide – how their health, symptoms, function and quality of life have changed as a result of treatment. Spire believe PROMs are not just another administrative dataset or regulatory requirement. They provide the patient’s own perspective on whether treatment has made a difference, helping clinicians and our services understand outcomes in terms that matter to the individual patient.
Consultant contribution: Consultant practice or consultant rep who makes biggest contribution to PHIN's work.
Mark Hamilton, Cleveland Clinic
Dr Mark Hamilton has demonstrated outstanding leadership in championing consultant compliance and making transparency and good governance a clear priority within The Cleveland Clinic London. Through Dr Hamilton’s close partnership with the Consultant Services Team, he has taken a proactive and collaborative approach to supporting consultants, overcoming challenges, and driving meaningful progress.
Dr Hamilton’s commitment to achieving positive outcomes and fostering a culture of accountability has made a significant contribution to PHIN's work, making them highly deserving of this recognition.
Rachel Wheeler, Nuffield Health
Rachel has been involved with PHIN since its inception and has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to its success. Rachel has been a strong advocate for clinician compliance and has worked constructively with PHIN to promote the benefits of transparency and participation.
She has always been approachable, responsive, and willing to help, whether through supporting the submission of consultant fees, providing feedback on proposed changes, or assisting with the resolution of issues affecting consultants.
Sarah Frankton, Bupa Cromwell
For the second year running, Dr Sarah Frankton has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to consultant compliance, transparency, and good governance. Through her tireless dedication, proactive approach, and strong partnership with the Consultant Services Team, Dr Frankton has played a pivotal role in supporting consultants to meet their obligations and driving meaningful progress for The BUPA Cromwell Hospital.
Her leadership has helped create a culture where compliance and good governance are recognised as key priorities, inspiring others to engage positively with PHIN's requirements. Their sustained commitment, influence and focus on doing the right thing make them a truly deserving recipient of this award.
Best use of PHIN data: Highlight how you have used PHIN data to make a difference to your operations and/or processes
Dean Bennett
Dean leads Circle Health Group's clinical effectiveness function with knowledge and enthusiasm, and has overseen the internal reporting structures making use of outcomes data to ensure clinical quality across the group.
This now includes collection and reporting of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) data on surgical site infection monitoring, physiotherapy and oncology.
James Matthews
James is an anaesthetist working at Barts Hospital and a NHS Clinical Entrepreneur who has developed an internal service improvement tool for his PPU. This draws on publicly available data, including a substantial amount of PHIN’s, for various purposes: service planning and capacity analysis, strategy development and quality improvement.
The prototype that he has developed visually illustrates where opportunities for growth exist and quantifies these, so that clinicians can be placed where real gaps exist and hospital services can best meet evolving patient needs.
St Joseph’s Hospital
St Joseph’s Hospital has been committed to putting value-based healthcare at the forefront of the private sector in Wales. As one of the first independent hospitals in Wales to adopt digital PROMs, St Joseph's has woven longitudinal patient data into its workflows. By commissioning a bespoke data extract from MCO to help management identify deteriorating patients for earlier clinical intervention, and integrating patient metrics into executive dashboards, St Joseph’s is utilising its foundational PHIN data to drive continuous benchmarking and optimise hospital-wide operations.
The leadership team recognised an opportunity to ensure that the data collected for PHIN was fully utilised internally to benefit both patients and hospital management.
Promotion of PHIN: Actions to raise awareness of PHIN and encourage patients to make more informed healthcare choices
Aviva
Aviva has played a significant role in promoting the principles of transparency and informed patient choice that sit at the heart of PHIN's mission. As one of the UK's leading private medical insurers, the organisation has consistently supported the use of PHIN’s information to help patients make better-informed decisions about their care.
Aviva's contribution is particularly noteworthy because of the influence it has had on provider engagement with PHIN. Through its relationships with hospitals and healthcare providers, Aviva has created a strong expectation that organisations participating in the private healthcare market should be registered with and engaged with PHIN. From discussions with hospitals across the UK, it is clear that Aviva's position has been a significant driver of awareness and participation, encouraging providers to prioritise PHIN compliance and transparency.
Beth Barron
Beth Barron has been a driving force in advancing PHIN's objectives this year through her unwavering commitment to transparency, compliance, and patient choice. At Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, she has taken a highly proactive approach to achieving and maintaining a high, sustainable level of CMA compliance, embedding robust processes that ensure transparency remains a core part of service delivery.
Beth has also become a respected and influential voice within the NHS Private Patient Unit community, consistently championing the importance of PHIN and the value of accurate, accessible information for patients. Through her advocacy, engagement with peers, and commitment to raising standards, she has helped strengthen awareness of PHIN and its role in supporting informed healthcare decisions.
Chair of IHPN Wales
As Chair of IHPN Wales, Stuart has been a consistent and respected voice in promoting PHIN, advocating for greater transparency and informed patient choice. He has supported PHIN's objectives while providing constructive challenge to help strengthen its impact and relevance.
Through his leadership and engagement across the Welsh independent healthcare sector, he has played a key role in raising awareness of PHIN and empowering patients to make informed healthcare decisions.
‘Patient contribution' award: Open to a patient who has gone above and beyond to help improve healthcare services, quality of care, or the patient experience, creating benefits for other patients
Dale Atkinson
Dale was diagnosed with Stage IV oesophageal cancer in October 2024 and has been a patient of both the NHS and private healthcare since. Having spent nearly two decades across global financial institutions, he finds it hard not to look at the system as a whole, and much of what he has done since has been about getting the patient's side of healthcare in front of the people who run it.
He makes the case that European healthcare records what clinicians do, what operations cost and what regulators require, but almost nowhere records what the patient actually sees, feels and decides on. He is a patient representative and a trustee of West Berkshire Therapy Centre (Berkshire Health & Well-being Social Enterprises, charity no. 1164954), a charity offering rehabilitation and exercise for people living with neurological conditions. He also writes publicly about being a patient and is writing a book for people who have just been diagnosed.
Debbie Douglas
Debbie Douglas is a patient safety campaigner whose determination to turn her own experience into positive change has made an important contribution both nationally and to PHIN. As a former patient of criminal surgeon Ian Paterson, Debbie has advocated for more than a decade for those affected by his actions and for the recommendations of the Paterson Inquiry to be fully implemented.
In 2026, she published her story, ‘The Cost of Trust: The Butcher Surgeon and the Scandal that Shamed British Medicine’. She also continues to campaign against the early release of Paterson, whose criminal actions harmed thousands of patients.
Derrick Clarke
Derrick Clarke is a powerful advocate for NHS patient choice and veteran healthcare who has turned his own life-changing experience into an opportunity to help other patients access the care and support available to them – especially via independent healthcare providers such as Practice Plus Group, which also treats NHS patients.
His story is particularly relevant in the context of PHIN’s Patient Confidence Report, published in August 2026. The research found that while 77% of UK adults are open to considering private healthcare, 28% do not know where to start when researching their options and only 26% feel confident navigating the private sector. Derrick’s experience demonstrates the importance of real patient voices in helping people understand the choices available to them.
