News from our partners: Hospital Trust shortlisted for three prestigious national awards

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has been shortlisted for three prestigious national awards – including Trust of the Year. 

The Trust has been announced as a finalist in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards 2026 in the following categories: 

• Trust of the Year Award 

• Performance Recovery Award and 

• Modernising Diagnostics Award 

 The Trust runs Princess Royal Hospital and the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Telford and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The Trust is part of the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Community and Hospitals NHS Group. 

SaTH is a finalist in the Trust of the Year Award which focuses on organisations that have taken on the biggest challenges: reducing waiting times, improving clinical quality and ensuring financial resilience, while keeping staff wellbeing and inclusivity at the core.   As well as improving performance in elective, outpatients and cancer care, SaTH delivered its financial plan – supporting the Trust to be removed from special measures (Recovery Support Programme) after seven years.  The Trust is also in the running for the Performance Recovery Award which recognises teams and organisations that are making tangible improvements for staff, patients and populations, delivering results quickly and effectively.   At the end of 2025/26, SaTH was the most improved Trust nationally for 18-week referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times and for the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard for cancer.  Finally, the Trust has been shortlisted for the Modernising Diagnostics Award which recognises teams that have successfully modernised diagnostic services whether by improving pathways, redesigning workflows or strengthening collaboration across trusts and networks.  

SaTH, working alongside Origin Sciences, has been recognised for the TRIOMIC cancer trial, which has redesigned the Colorectal Urgent Suspected Cancer pathway to be delivered in a Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), whilst also developing a new test to detect colorectal cancer and high-risk polyps. The £2m study is the first of its kind in the UK and has helped improve waiting times for patients. 

Jo Williams, Group Chief Executive, said: “I am proud that our teams are receiving this phenomenal recognition. We do not underestimate the improvement that we still have to deliver, but we are pleased to be among the most improved trusts nationally.  

“This progress, and now this recognition, is built on countless acts of kindness, hard work, resilience, compassion and an unwavering commitment by our incredible staff to do the very best for others.” 

Dr John Jones, Group Medical Director, said: “To be shortlisted for three awards is testament to the determination of our staff to deliver high quality, safe and effective patient care and we would like to thank them for everything they do.  

“We remain ambitious for better care, safer services and a kinder culture and we will continue to challenge ourselves to further improve, to keep listening to our patients and staff, and to strive for the standards our communities rightly expect from us.” 

The winners will be announced at the HSJ Awards ceremony on Thursday 19 November 2026. The awards judging panel was made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, as well as a range of esteemed board level executives from NHS Trusts across the UK.