Our award categories for Golden Stars 2026 are:
Excellence in Research and Development
This award will go to an individual or team which can demonstrate an outstanding and innovative contribution to research and development.
Nominations may score more highly if they can show how this person or team has:
- Successfully delivered a clinical or non-clinical trial with excellent results
- Promoted research as a core component of Group thinking
- Generated funding bids, training opportunities, projects, partnerships and participants.
- Collaborated across the North and South bank to successfully implement the research and findings.
Excellence in Improvement and Innovation
This award recognises individuals or teams who have taken strides to constantly improve and enhance the services they provide. This could be through a formal quality improvement project, the introduction of innovative digital solutions, or through seeking to find new ways of working that will transform patient care.
Nominations will score more highly if your application includes details of the following:
- A compelling reason to make a change or improvement.
- Evidence that an improvement has been made in outcomes/experience
- The significant impact this has had on patient care, and evidence to showcase this.
- Examples of patient and/or staff engagement, providing examples of creativity and any teamwork that enhanced the improvement.
Healthcare Heroes – a special award nominated for by patients and public
This award gives patients and their families the opportunity to tell us about their NHS heroes, the people who made a real difference at their time of need, improved their experience and created a lasting positive impact.
Nominations will score more highly if you can show how this person or team has:
- Demonstrated compassion and caring above the call of duty
- Listened to and acted upon feedback from patients/service users
- Describes the significant positive impact that they had on this patient/service user.
Outstanding Contribution to Quality and Safety- new for 2026!
This award recognises an individual or team who has made a significant, measurable impact on improving quality and safety within our services. It celebrates those who go above and beyond to ensure patients receive the safest, highest-quality care.
Nominations will score more highly if you can show:
- How they have had a demonstratable impact on patient safety and quality
- Specific examples of ideas, process or technologies that have strengthened safety and quality
- Data and insights that show improved outcomes whether that be improved patient experience scores and feedback or a reduction in incidents or complaints
- How they actively engaged with their team/wider staff to ensure this initiative was embedded in their way of working
Excellence in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Recognising a person or team which promotes equality, diversity and inclusion for service users, staff or the community.
You may score more highly if you can show how this person or team has:
- Enhanced care for service users and/or colleagues through a sustained and passionate commitment to inclusion
- Has raised the profile of inclusion within their organisation
- Has contributed to an improvement in a specific area of EDI, including: equality of access to opportunities, recruitment or networking. This can be for staff and/or patients.
Inspirational Leader
In recognition of an inspiring leader who motivates and encourages their team to achieve great things.
The winner will be a compassionate and visionary role model for staff. They do not need to be a senior manager, as we find leadership at all levels.
You will score more highly if you can evidence how this person has:
- Led their team to excellent performance or improved their team/dept service significantly
- Developed a team of engaged, involved staff who enjoy coming to work
- Involved staff in decision-making, encouraged staff to make suggestions for change and enabled them to deliver improvements
- Provided ongoing and regular support to an individual
- Constantly strives to improve themselves in order to continuously develop their skills as a leader.
Rising Star
This award looks to celebrate those taking their first steps in their NHS career- whether that’s a younger member of the team, an apprentice, or someone who’s new to the NHS. They will have demonstrated a commitment and professionalism in their service and acted as a role model for the Trust.
Your nomination will score more highly if you can show how this person has:
- Excelled in their role
- Helped to improve the team/department or service
- Contributed significantly to the delivery of great care/patient experience/safety etc.
Unsung Hero
Working tirelessly behind the scenes, they rarely receive recognition or acclaim for the vital work they do day in day out to keep our services running smoothly. This person largely goes unnoticed, but now is their time to shine. They may work in an area of the Group which is less high profile but their contribution is essential.
Your nomination will score more highly if you can show how this person has:
- Consistently excelled in their role
- Helped to improve the team/department/service/trust
- Contributed to the delivery of great care/patient experience/safety etc
- Has acted as a role model for staff and or patients/service users, providing a consistent approach to their role.
Outstanding Clinical Team
The winning clinical team will have great team spirit and sense of collective purpose. They will communicate and engage well with their colleagues and other parts of the Group and will have excelled themselves in the last 12 months with an inspirational effort.
You may score more highly if your application includes details of the following:
- How the team contributes to the delivery of great care, and shows excellent team spirit and camaraderie in doing that
- Specific examples of where the team has excelled itself and where they have demonstrated the Trust values/behaviours
- Details of excellent communication, staff engagement, service improvements and partnership working either within or outside of the Trust
Outstanding Support Team
The winning support team will have a great team spirit and sense of collective purpose. They will communicate and engage well with their colleagues and other parts of the Trust and will have excelled themselves in the last 12 months with an inspirational effort.
You may score more highly if your application includes details of the following:
- How the team contributes to the delivery of great care, and shows excellent team spirit and camaraderie in doing that
- Specific examples of where the team has excelled itself and where they have demonstrated the Trust values/behaviours
- Details of excellent communication, staff engagement, service improvements and partnership working either within or outside of the Trust
Partnership and Group Working Award
This award will go to the individual or team which can best demonstrate an improvement or extraordinary success through working with services and departments across the group, and other key partners.
Your nomination will score more highly if you can show how this person or team has:
- Created and sustained a purposeful relationship, demonstrating excellent engagement and communication
- Identified and articulated a clear understanding of the need for the partnership, and the benefits that have resulted from it.
- Showcases how the team are working as a Group for the benefit of patients across the Humber Health Partnership
- Provided evidence that the partnership is helping to achieve strategic objectives and delivered clear outcomes.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The winning individual will have dedicated at least 25 years of their career to the NHS. They will truly reflect the 6Cs: Care, Compassion, Competence, Courage, Communication, Commitment; and embody the values of the organisation.
You will score more highly if you can show how this person has:
- Demonstrated altruism and compassion in their working life
- Committed their career to improving services for the benefit of patients and/or staff Consistently achieved a high standard of performance in their role
- Acted as an inspiration and role model to others
Chief Executive’s Award
Our Chief Executive will choose a winner from our Shining Lights awards scheme.
Shining Lights gives staff the chance to tell us about the things that have made them proud to work for the NHS and our Group. Every day the NHS works miracles but a lot of the time these go unheard. However big or small we are encouraging staff to post their Shining Lights on the message board we have set up especially for this purpose.
The Chief Executive will choose a winner from submissions made over the previous 12 months.
Chairman’s Outstanding Contribution to Care Award
A surprise award, to recognise an outstanding contribution to patient care – it could be a team or individual and the winner will be revealed on the night.