Health Innovation West Midlands is delighted to announce that ‘Delivering Martha’s Rule at scale: Empowering escalation to transform patient safety across the Midlands’ has been shortlisted in both the Provider Collaboration of the Year and Patient Safety categories at the 2026 HSJ Awards.

More than 1,300 entries were submitted to this year’s awards, with just 231 projects and individuals reaching the final shortlist. The volume and quality of entries reflect the exceptional innovation and improvement taking place across health and care services throughout the UK.

The double nomination recognises the impact of a pioneering regional collaboration that is transforming how concerns about patient deterioration are identified and escalated across the Midlands.

Martha’s Rule is a coordinated regional programme led by Health Innovation West Midlands and Health Innovation East Midlands, working in partnership with Critical Care Operational Delivery Networks to embed reliable patient, family and staff-initiated escalation pathways.

Since September 2024, the programme has been implemented across all 11 Midlands Integrated Care Boards, encompassing 23 NHS trusts and 35 hospital sites. During this period, more than 772 reviews have confirmed patient deterioration, resulting in 331 changes to treatment plans and 38 escalations to intensive or specialist care. The initiative is helping to improve patient safety, reduce unwarranted variation and ensure more equitable access to escalation pathways across the region.

Daniel Hodgkiss, Head of Implementation and Improvement at Health Innovation West Midlands, said: “We are delighted that Martha’s Rule has been shortlisted in two categories at the HSJ Awards 2026. This recognition reflects the commitment and collaboration of colleagues across the Midlands who have worked tirelessly to implement the programme at scale.

“By working together through shared governance, regional leadership and communities of practice, we have demonstrated how collaboration can accelerate learning, reduce unwarranted variation and improve patient safety across complex health systems.

“Importantly, this work has also shown how patient safety interventions can help address health inequalities by using data, engagement and co-production to ensure escalation pathways work effectively for all populations.”

The winners will be announced at the HSJ Awards ceremony, which takes place at Evolution London on 19 November 2026.

The awards celebrate excellence across UK healthcare, recognising organisations and individuals that are improving patient outcomes, sharing best practice and driving innovation throughout the NHS and wider health and care system.

The full shortlist can be viewed at: https://awards.hsj.co.uk/shortlist-2026