Health Innovation Wessex Shortlisted For Two 2026 Patient Safety Awards

Health Innovation Wessex is delighted to announce that our Early Breast Milk Project has been shortlisted in two categories at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2026; Maternity and Midwifery Initiative of the Year and Quality Improvement Initiative of the Year. The awards recognise the critical work being done to address the complexities of delivering safe care amidst times of significant change and long-standing pressures. 

Health Innovation Wessex's shortlisted entry, Early Breast Milk Project, was selected following a rigorous judging process and has been recognised as a standout example of Patient safety which extends beyond clinical excellence - it is about fostering a culture of openness, learning, and collaboration while harnessing the power of technology to create safer, more resilient systems. 

The 2026 awards judging panel was made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, including; Stella Vig, Deputy National Medical Director for Secondary Care and Quality at NHS England, Charlotte Aston, National UEC Director at GIRFT UEC National team, Afifa Qazi, Chief Medical Officer at Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust, Andrew Raynes, Chief Information Officer at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Palmer Winstanley, Chief Executive at Barnet Hospital, Nathan Askew, Chief Nurse at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust. 

The Early Breastmilk Toolkit is a patient‑informed safety intervention developed by Health Innovation Wessex and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust to address inconsistent breast pump flange fitting for mothers of premature and vulnerable infants. Incorrect flange sizing can lead to pain, nipple trauma, mastitis, reduced milk yield and unnecessary formula supplementation.

Funded by NHS England South West, the Toolkit standardises staff training, parent information, equipment access and governance processes. Early adoption across England and Scotland has shown improved maternal comfort, increased milk yield, enhanced staff confidence and reduced reliance on formula—strengthening safety, equity and quality in neonatal and maternity care.

By supporting mothers to provide their own breastmilk, the initiative contributes to better long‑term health outcomes for preterm infants. Maternal breastmilk is known to reduce the incidence of necrotising enterocolitis. The Toolkit enables maternity and neonatal teams to implement a similar, evidence‑based approach within their own healthcare settings.

Holly Green, Programme Manager - Patient Safety (Maternity and Neonatal) and Midwife at Health Innovation Wessex comments, "I am absolutely delighted to have this project recognised for two HSJ Awards. This project has been such a great example of the patient safety collaborative working with both service users and passionate front line clinicians to improve patient safety. Using the latest research, clinical expertise, quality improvement methodology and service evaluation we have been able to improve patient outcomes, demonstrate service impact and national spread. It has been so rewarding to support this small scale pilot grow across Wessex and now be implemented in 15 other sites (and counting!)."

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 28 September 2026 at The Telford International Centre. The event shines a light on outstanding teams who are improving patient safety across health and care.  

For more details on the 2026 HSJ Patient Safety Awards shortlist, visit https://awards.patientsafetycongress.co.uk/shortlist-2026  

NOTES TO EDITORS  

For more information/media enquiries relating to the 2026 HSJ Patient Safety Awards, please contact Honey De Gracia, Head of Marketing, honey.degracia@hsj.co.uk

For more information relating to Health Innovation Wessex please contact enquiries@hiwessex.net