Digital Health Awards 2025

The Digital Health Awards 2025 shine a light on the outstanding digital leaders who are shaping the future of healthcare within the NHS. Our awards celebrate innovation, dedication, and excellence across the healthcare landscape, recognising the achievements and contributions of individuals who are driving transformation through digital technologies.

Held as part of the annual Digital Health Summer Schools event, the awards will take place on Thursday 17 July at the University of Warwick during the evening gala dinner.

This year’s awards will be judged by representatives from across the CCIO, CIO, and CNIO Advisory Panels, as well as members of the CSO and ICS Digital Council, ensuring a diverse and expert perspective in selecting the most impactful and inspiring digital leaders in health and care.

The judges will be looking for compelling examples of leadership, innovation, and measurable impact in each of the following categories:

• CCIO of the Year
• CIO of the Year
• CNIO of the Year
• CSO of the Year
• Rising Star

The Digital Health Awards 2025 not only acknowledge excellence today but also aim to inspire and accelerate the next wave of digital leadership across the NHS. Celebrate the success of your peers by nominating those who are making a real difference.

Categories

The 2025 awards categories are:

CCIO of the Year:
This award recognises the Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision in harnessing digital solutions to improve patient care, streamline processes, and enhance clinical outcomes.

CIO of the Year:
Acknowledging the pivotal role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), this award celebrates the individual who has displayed outstanding strategic thinking, innovation, and execution in leveraging technology to advance healthcare delivery and organisational goals.

CNIO of the Year:
For the Chief Nursing Information Officer (CNIO) who has exhibited exemplary leadership and innovation in integrating nursing practice with information management and technology, ultimately enhancing patient care and nursing workflows.

CSO of the Year
This award honours the Clinical Safety Officer (CSO) who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in ensuring the safe implementation and use of digital health technologies. Recognising excellence in risk management, governance, and patient safety, this award celebrates an individual who has made a significant impact in embedding safety principles within digital transformation initiatives.

Rising Star:
Celebrating emerging talent and future leaders in digital health, this award recognises an individual who has made significant contributions early in their career, demonstrating exceptional promise, creativity, and dedication to driving positive change.

Entry criteria

Submissions for the Digital Health Awards can be made by an individual nominating themselves or a colleague.

Those being nominated for an award must:

• Be a member of the Digital Health Networks.
• Be a CCIO, CIO, CNIO, CSO, future digital leader currently work in the field of digital health and social care or use technology in your daily work
• Work for the NHS, public sector, third sector providers, in charitable sectors, or as an academic or researcher.
• Demonstrate how the nominee meets the category criteria using evidence to support reasons.

Your application is subject to registering to attend Summer Schools 2025. The three finalists from each category will receive a complimentary ticket for the awards dinner and a 20% discount on your attendance ticket for the event which will be applied to your booking once confirmed as a finalist.

Entry criteria

Submissions for the Digital Health Awards can be made by an individual nominating themselves or a colleague.

Those being nominated for an award must:

• Be members of the Digital Health Networks.
• Be a CCIO, CIO, CNIO, CSO, future digital leader or a team currently work in the field of digital health and social care or use technology in your daily work
• Work for the NHS, public sector, third sector providers, in charitable sectors, or as an academic or researcher.
• Demonstrate how the nominee meets the category criteria using evidence to support reasons.

Categories

The 2025 awards categories are:

“In 2022, I was honoured to receive the award for Outstanding Contribution to Digital Health Networks award, recognising my commitment to advancing digital health innovation and fostering collaboration across the health and care ecosystem. This award highlights my role in driving impactful initiatives, building inclusive digital communities, and championing knowledge sharing to support digital transformation across the UK.”

Sarah Hanbridge, Chief Clinical Information Officer for Nursing & Allied Health Professionals, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

“It was truly humbling to be the first pharmacist to receive the Digital Health Networks award for CCIO of the Year. The recognition went beyond personal achievement as for me it showcased how important it was to break barriers and reminded me anything is possible. I am very grateful to those who nominated me for the awards and many congratulations to all the winners from last year too.”

Ramandeep Kaur, Group CCIO, University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group

Thanks to Digital Health Networks sponsors