The One Gloucestershire Lower Limb Project Team has been recognised with a Highly Commended award in the ‘Most Effective Contribution to Clinical Redesign’ category at the 2026 HSJ (Health Service Journal) Partnership Awards.
The accolade celebrates the team’s outstanding work to redesign leg ulcer care across Gloucestershire through the programme Building Workforce Capability Through Strategic Partnership. This system‑wide initiative is led by NHS Gloucestershire ICB, working in partnership with Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHSFT, primary care teams, specialist services, and hygiene and health solutions provider Essity UK.
The project aims to ensure patients receive high‑quality, timely care closer to home by transforming how leg ulcer care is delivered. Key elements include:
- Improving how patient information is collected
- Enhancing support and guidance for compression therapy
- Introducing consistent, evidence-based treatment plans across providers
- Collectively, these improvements are designed to boost healing rates, reduce recurrence, enhance patient experience, and establish a sustainable clinical model that can be replicated in other areas of care.
The team is also delighted to have been named finalist in the ‘Best Educational Programme for the NHS’ category.
Sophie Belson, Professional Lead for Gloucestershire Health and Care’s Tissue Viability and Complex Leg Wound Service, played a pivotal role in developing and delivering the Education and Training Standards and countywide face‑to‑face training. She presented the project to the judging panel in January, alongside Leah Bamford, Programme Officer (Project Manager) at NHS Gloucestershire ICB, and Huw James, Strategic Healthcare Partner at Essity UK.
Sophie said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this Highly Commended recognition at the HSJ Partnership Awards.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside such an exceptional group of colleagues from across multiple organisations, all united by a shared commitment to improving patient care. This accolade reflects the team’s dedication, collaboration, and the meaningful impact of our work.
Marie Therese Clarke, Operational Lead for Wound and Lower Limb Services, added: “We are honoured to have been Highly Commended at the HSJ Partnership Awards. This recognition reflects the dedication of our project team and their relentless pursuit of innovation that truly makes a difference in patient care.”
All those who were ‘Highly Commended’ were announced at the awards ceremony on 19 March 2026 at Evolution London.
For further information about the 2026 HSJ Partnership Awards winners, visit: Home | HSJ Partnership Awards
Pictured above at the HSJ Partnership Awards, with fellow finalists and colleagues from Essity UK are (front row, from left): Project Director Jane Haros, Deputy Director of Nursing and Clinical Practice, Integrated Commissioning (Health, Care and Communities), NHS Gloucestershire ICB; Project Lead Helen Ballinger, Clinical Commissioning Manager; Sophie Belson, Professional Lead for GHC’s Tissue Viability and Complex Leg Wound Service; and Huw James, Strategic Healthcare Partner, Essity UK.
