On Thursday 29 October, hundreds of nurses, clinical leaders and healthcare partners filled the Great Room at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House on Park Lane for the Nursing Times Awards 2026, one of the most respected celebrations of nursing excellence in the UK.
We were there alongside our colleagues from Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as finalists in the Technology and Data in Nursing category, recognised for our joint work on a digitally augmented enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway.
Being shortlisted from entries across the whole country is a huge recognition and it is one we share with the clinicians at Kettering who made this work happen.
Commended by the President of the Royal College of Nursing
One of the highlights of our evening was meeting Bijoy Sebastian, President of the Royal College of Nursing. He took time to speak with our team about the pathway and commended the work we have been doing together with Kettering to bring digital tools into the hands of frontline nurses.
Hearing that encouragement from the elected leader of the UK's nursing profession meant a great deal to all of us. It reinforced something we believe strongly: the best digital health tools are shaped by the clinicians who use them every day.
Why this work matters
Enhanced recovery after surgery is about helping patients get back on their feet and home sooner and more safely. Nurses sit at the heart of that journey, from preparing patients before their operation to supporting their recovery on the ward and following them up once they are home.
Our approach with Kettering gives nursing teams a single, connected view of each patient's recovery pathway. Instead of chasing information across paper forms and separate systems, nurses can see where every patient is on their journey, spot those who need extra support earlier, and capture high quality data as part of routine care rather than as an extra task.
Building on momentum
This shortlisting marks our seventh national award nomination since 2024, and each one reflects the strength of our partnerships with NHS teams. We are grateful to the Nursing Times for recognising the role that technology and data now play in modern nursing, and to everyone at Kettering General Hospital for their commitment, their ideas and their company on a memorable evening.
We left Park Lane with a national platform for nurse-led digital innovation, encouragement from the leader of the nursing profession, and a partnership that is only getting stronger. We look forward to what comes next.
