Congratulations to the winners and shortlisted projects of the NHS Wales Awards 2025!
The NHS Wales Awards are a celebration of the outstanding achievements and dedication of health and care staff across Wales. As headline sponsors, we’re proud to support an event that shines a light on the breadth and scale of quality improvement work taking place across Wales. Every project shortlisted demonstrates the dedication of teams working tirelessly to transform experiences and outcomes for the people of Wales.
In the opening remarks, Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, captured the spirit of the event, highlighting that the awards are not only a moment to recognise outstanding achievements, but also an opportunity to reflect on the continuous efforts being made every day to improve lives across the nation. Jeremey Miles highlighted that the drive for quality and safety is at the heart of our collective ambition, and that the projects celebrated here are powerful demonstrations of that ambition in action.
This year, the awards were presented by Jacqueline Totterdell, Chief Executive, NHS Wales and Director General for Health, Social Care and Early Years. Jacqueline honoured the finalists and winners for their inspiring contributions, emphasising that Wales has so much to offer, and that the 36 shortlisted teams and projects in the room are a brilliant part of that.
Award winners
NHS Wales Safe Care Award
Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre University NHS Trust - South East Wales Immunotherapy Toxicity Service
NHS Wales Timely Care Award
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board - One Referral, One Visit: Timely Integrated Care for Swallowing, Nutrition and Medication Management in Care Homes
NHS Wales Effective Care Award
Velindre University NHS Trust & Cardiff and Vale University Health Board - Initiating Home Diagnostic Assessment Tools for Point of Care Testing in Community Supportive & Palliative Care Patients to Facilitate Care at Home in Life-Limiting End-of-Life conditions
NHS Wales Efficient Care Award
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board - The Establishment of High Intensity Turnover and Subsequently High Volume Low Complexity Theatre Lists in Nevill Hall Day Surgery Unit
NHS Wales Equitable Care Award
Public Health Wales - Community Self-Sampling for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in Wales
NHS Wales Person-Centred Care Award
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board - Evaluation of the Alcohol Liaison Service and Scoping to Develop a Co-Designed, Person Centred Service to Best Meet Population Need
NHS Wales Leadership Award
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board - Let The First Fragility Fracture be the Last!
NHS Wales Workforce Sustainability Award
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board - Collaborative Insights for Sustainable Staffing Solutions
NHS Wales Team Culture Award
All Wales PERIPrem Team - Perinatal Excellence to Reduce Injury in Premature birth Cymru: Reducing Variation in Evidence-Based Perinatal Optimisation in Wales for 'Pob Babi Bob Tro'
NHS Wales Information Award
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board - Data Unlocked: Real-Time Insights Empowering Every Nurse
NHS Wales Learning & Research Award
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board - GO Wales: Geniculate Artery Embolisation for Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis Pain in Wales
NHS Wales Whole Systems Approach Award
Swansea Bay University Health Board - Falls Response: Reducing Harm by Empowering Domiciliary and Care Home Staff
We’re especially proud to see the VR Training, Timely Integrated Care for Swallowing, Nutrition and Medication Management in Care Homes project we support, receive the NHS Wales Timely Care Award. This achievement demonstrates how innovative approaches can make measurable improvements in delivering safe, high-quality care.
The VR Training module equips social care staff with immersive virtual reality scenarios to improve their skills in managing swallowing difficulties. This engaging and practical approach allows staff to build confidence in responding to emergencies, without risk to patients, ultimately enhancing patient safety and quality of care. The project’s success is now supporting wider adoption across Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, setting a new standard for workforce development in social care.
Azize Naji, CEO, Goggleminds, said:
“Supporting the current and future social care workforce is a real honour, made possible by the people and partners around us. As a leading innovator in this space, being recognised by these awards is a proud moment, but we want to dedicate it to all the frontline health and social care professionals who work tirelessly, with compassion and commitment, to deliver the best possible care in our hospitals and communities. They are the ones who make the world around us a better place. We look forward to continuing to grow our support for social care in Wales and beyond, and to sharing some exciting announcements in the new year.”
Louise Baker, Project Lead, Life Sciences Hub Wales, said:
“Winning the NHS Wales Award for Timely Care is more than recognition, it’s a celebration of what’s possible. It affirms the power of virtual assessment and immersive simulation to redesign and transform training for health and social care staff, inspiring industry to consider new innovation pathways, and creating better outcomes for some of the most vulnerable people in Wales.”
Jodie Miller, Speech and Language Therapy Associate Practitioner, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said:
“It’s been a privilege to deliver multi-disciplinary training by integrating technology into practice and encouraging staff to embrace digital tools that enhance learning and build confidence. We’re proud to be part of such a collaborative team and to be celebrated by the NHS Wales Awards. By facilitating an immersive learning environment, we empower staff to apply theory to practical, real-world scenarios, strengthen our relationships across health and social care and industry partners, and ultimately improve outcomes for vulnerable service-users. Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue driving digital innovation and integrating technology into future routine service delivery.”
Chris Martin, Chair, Life Sciences Hub Wales said:
“The NHS Wales Awards continue to showcase the inspiring and impactful work that’s improving healthcare services and outcomes across Wales. As a headline sponsor, Life Sciences Hub Wales is proud to support the awards, celebrating excellence and innovation. Congratulations to all this year’s winners and nominees for their outstanding contributions.”
Learn more about all of this year’s finalists and winners here.