Health Equity Liverpool Project shortlisted for prestigious HSJ Award

An innovative community programme tackling local health inequalities has been shortlisted at the HSJ Awards 2024, recognising an outstanding contribution to healthcare.

The Health Equity Liverpool Project (HELP), led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, is in the running for the Innovation and Improvement in Reducing Healthcare Inequalities Award. This recognises effective initiatives which aim to reduce healthcare inequalities among deprived communities at a national or local level.

HELP has established local, creative-led interventions in underserved communities in Liverpool, building trust and addressing misinformation on public health issues, from cancer screening to childhood immunisation.

The project is led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and funded by Liverpool City Council, and involves partners including the Infection Innovation Consortium: iiCON and Capacity Development International. It focuses on strengthening the interface between primary care and communities, and builds on a successful pilot project which addressed vaccine equity in Liverpool during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its second phase broadened its health equity focus to include low uptake of childhood immunisation (MMR), cervical and breast cancer screening.

The HSJ Awards is the largest annual benchmarking and recognition programme for the health sector. Over the last 40 years, the awards have been celebrating healthcare excellence through huge political, technological and financial challenges within the sector.

Professor Miriam Taegtmeyer from LSTM, Principal Investigator leading on HELP, said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted at the HSJ Awards 2024. This category celebrates innovative and creative projects that drive real improvements in access and outcomes for people and communities. HELP recognises the unfair and avoidable health impacts of economic and social inequalities, working hand-in-hand with healthcare professionals, community organisations and creatives to deliver meaningful change. This award nomination is testament to the hard work of all the partners involved.”

Alastair McLellan, Editor of the HSJ, said: “It always gives me great pleasure to congratulate our finalists at this stage of the judging process and this year is no exception as we acknowledge the Health Equity Liverpool Project being shortlisted in the category of Innovation and Improvement in Reducing Healthcare Inequalities.

“However, it’s always important to remember that the HSJ Awards are not just a celebration of success stories but also a platform to shape the future of the NHS.

“We can’t wait to welcome our finalists to the awards ceremony in November and to recognise and applaud such impressive achievements across the sector.”

HELP’s Community Innovation Teams model was inspired and adapted from a successful partnership programme in Kenya. The teams use local health data combined with community insights to identify the root causes of health inequity. They then develop a range of community-led, creative health interventions focused on personalised and localised messaging and outreach events, to improve trust, tackle misinformation and reduce health equity gaps.

The full list of partners included in the award shortlist are LSTM, Liverpool City Council Public Health, and Anfield/Everton, Central/North Liverpool and SWAGGA primary care networks.

HSJ Awards

1350+ entries have been received for this year’s Awards, with 234 projects and individuals reaching the final shortlist. The high volume and exceptional quality of applications showcases the impressive levels of innovation and care continually being developed within the UK’s healthcare networks.

The 2024 awards judging panel was made up of influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, including; Stephen Powis, National Medical Director, NHS England, Rosa Waddingham, Chief Nurse, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB and Matthew Style, Director General, Secondary Care and Integration Department of Health & Social Care, as well as a range of Chief Executives from NHS Trusts across the UK.

The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Evolution London on 21 November.