2022 Categories

Entries are now open for the 2022 Irish Healthcare Awards!

To begin, select Enter Now below and you will be able to add more categories to your basket in the next step. Don't forget to save your entries as you go along.

Click here to view the entry guidelines.

An Duais Mhór is a unique category that cannot be entered, as the winner is chosen by the judges as the overall outstanding person, project or organisation chosen from all of the category winners. 

If you are a registered charity, you may qualify for a reduction to your entry costs. Please email ruth.davis@emap.com with your charity's name and registration number. Once we have verified your charity registration number, we will send you a promotional code that can be used when completing your payment. This will reduce your cost per entry from €249 + VAT to €99 + VAT.

Best Use of Information Technology

This award is for the innovative use of information technology in a healthcare context to improve efficiencies and deliver better patient care. It includes systems that produce savings both in terms of personnel, revenue or patient time.

€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for:
1) A practical application that improves efficiency or care
2) Cost savings – if applicable
3) Time savings – if applicable
4) Ease of use
5) Potential Covid applications

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Community Healthcare Worker of the Year

NEW TO 2022

This award seeks to recognise a Practice Nurse who has made an outstanding contribution to patient care in their sphere. It is open to all qualified Practice Nurse practising in Ireland. We invite applications from both Practice Nurses themselves and nominations from practice colleagues.

Free entry

The judges will be looking for:
1) A practical application that improves efficiency or care
2) Cost savings – if applicable
3) Time savings – if applicable
4) Ease of use
5) Potential Covid applications

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Educational Meeting of the Year (webinar)

This award is for the best webinar/meeting of the year. This year while medical meetings in person have been impossible, the standard in production and presentation of webinars has increased across the healthcare arena. This award is for the company, person or institution that has produced the best/most educational meeting of 2022.

€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for:
1) A practical application that improves efficiency or care
2) Cost savings – if applicable
3) Time savings – if applicable
4) Ease of use
5) Potential Covid applications

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Equality Initiative of the Year

This award recognises those companies, individuals, institutions and organisations that have strived to create a more equal world by encouraging those who would not traditionally have had easy access or entry into a discipline to participate fully in it. It also may recognise initiatives that have allowed patients to live a more equal and successful life by creating circumstances allowing them to full participate in life.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for:
1) A practical application that improves efficiency or care
2) Cost savings – if applicable
3) Time savings – if applicable
4) Ease of use
5) Potential Covid applications

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Excellence in Healthcare Management

This award is to recognise excellence in healthcare management – particularly where it shows a demonstrable patient benefit. This award covers the entire spectrum of healthcare in Ireland – from hospitals to general practice to healthcare institutions or all kinds. This year it will focus on Covid-19 management – both of the disease itself, and the management of other illnesses during the pandemic. The judges are looking for excellence in strategy, conception and execution.

€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for:
1) A practical application that improves efficiency or care
2) Cost savings – if applicable
3) Time savings – if applicable
4) Ease of use
5) Potential Covid applications

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Healthiest Company of the Year

NEW TO 2022

This award is for the company that takes the best care of its staff’s health, mental and physical wellbeing. It is a company that is actively involved in promoting health, has programs that ensure its own staff are healthy – mentally and physically, and has a CSR program to help others in Ireland and abroad.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for:

1) Employee benefits and uptake of these

2) Diversity, equality, and inclusion

 3) Measures of increased employee satisfaction

 4) Covid response and adaptability

 5) Financial savings – if applicable

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Hospital Manager of the Year

This award seeks to recognise a Hospital Manager who has made an outstanding contribution to their institution’s performance in the previous year. We invite detailed applications from hospital managers themselves or nominations from their management colleagues/medical staff.
Free entry
Submissions should demonstrate:
• An exceptional person that has made a real difference their hospital’s performance.
• Commitment to professionalism and delivering patient-focused services.
• Evidence that their individual efforts and imagination have improved their hospital’s performance; for example, through improvement projects, effective leadership or team communication, strong business/financial management skills.
• Understanding of local population needs.
• Credit will be given to applications with evidence supporting their contribution to effective hospital operation and overcoming significant obstacles.
• Innovation: Unique features with specific measurable outcomes will also score highly.

Criteria that the judges will score against:
• Clear evidence of the Hospital Manager’s impact on their patients, hospital, the local community, Irish health service or profession.
• Evidence of exceptional local/and or national leadership, imagination and/or innovation and how these qualities have influenced the outcome of their work and the performance of their practice or profession.
• Robust data collection and analysis, showing measured improvements of the targeted performance (e.g. patient care, including clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness).
• The sustainability of the changes/improvements observed.
• Management of the Covid-19 crisis in terms of protecting staff, keeping services going for non-Covid-19 patients and providing information on and facilities for dealing with Covid-19

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines  

Hospital Project of the Year

For projects aimed at, or created/developed by, hospital doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other hospital-based healthcare professionals in a hospital setting. This is a project that may or may not involve a Covid-19 response. The winner will be a project that truly enhances the care a hospital gives and something that makes it demonstrably better than it was in terms of patient care.

€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for:
1) A practical application that improves efficiency or care
2) Cost savings – if applicable
3) Time savings – if applicable
4) Ease of use
5) Potential Covid applications

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Innovation in Healthcare and Medicine

This award is to recognise innovation in healthcare that increases efficiency in delivery, improves patient outcomes, reduces costs or procedures, or introduces a new and effective service, treatment, or system that improves patient care. Innovations in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, the recent influx of Ukrainian refugees or other ‘crises’ will also be considered where healthcare staff have innovated to provide services relating to the crisis.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for:
1) A practical application that improves efficiency or care
2) Cost savings – if applicable
3) Time savings – if applicable
4) Ease of use
5) Potential Covid applications

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Innovation in Primary Care Award

General Practice and Primary Care are fundamental to patient care in Ireland, and a growing part of the total healthcare package. Keeping people out of hospital and treating them in their own area is increasingly valuable, both in terms of reducing costs and increasing patient satisfaction.

ENTER NOW

International Prize of the Year

Through this new prize we celebrate some projects that are improving health and care in other jurisdictions around the world. The award involves the submission of an original project of work on a health issue taking in factors from countries abroad, including Irish or Irish-trained healthcare professionals in the diaspora, and that the project outcomes are beneficial for their local populations. Can/has it been applied to other regions and/or countries (and hopefully Ireland) as well. The projects presented here cover a wide range of health themes.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)
Submissions should demonstrate either and/or:
• Projects that either help patients and healthcare professionals to manage a certain condition, or to preventatively stay healthy.
• Projects that innovate the health and care system and the way it works. This includes projects which are related to interoperability as well as those implemented through innovation procurement; and
• ICT solutions for Health, Care, Well-being etc; among others.

Criteria that the judges will score against:
• Project Objectives: Clearly define, with tangible targets and expected outcomes, what the project set out to achieve.
• Implementation, Tactics and Strategy: Having identified the objectives, what strategy was developed to achieve these objectives and what tactics were implemented to deliver on this? In short, what did you do?
• Outcomes: How robust is the evidence of the relationship between the project’s outcomes and the stated objective(s) and how this relationship was evaluated.


Your entry should follow our Entry Guidelines

Mental Health Initiative of the Year

This special award is a direct response to the increase in rates of mental health problems in Ireland, unfortunately expected to have further spiked amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. This prize also flags that mental health has traditionally been stigmatised and underfunded in Ireland, while recognising efforts to combat this serious social issue. The award recognises that there is still much to understand and address in the area of the causes, prevention and treatment of mental health illness, and makes a statement about the importance of facilitating best international practice in mental healthcare.

€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

Submissions should demonstrate:

Entries for the Mental Health Initiative of the Year Award will demonstrate the advancement of research, treatments, awareness, policies, advocacy, scaled-up quality interventions and services for people with mental health conditions.

Criteria that the judges will score against:
Judges will highlight individuals, groups and companies in the Irish healthcare sector who have demonstrably improved access to and developed initiatives to improve access and quality care for mental health conditions — including substance use and neurological disorders — in order to create healthy, inclusive environments for society in support of mental well-being.

The judges will especially seek:
1) People who have raised awareness of mental health issues
2) Organisations who have led the way in terms of policies regarding people with mental health issues
3) Projects and campaigns that have helped people with mental illness and promoted their full participation in society
4) How the project advanced the treatment and acceptance of people with mental health issues


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

NCHD Project of the Year

The best initiative implemented by an individual NCHD or team of NCHDs, aimed at quality improvement, education or training, enhancing hospital procedures or improving communication between healthcare professionals.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will make the award based on:
1) The usefulness of the project in terms of managing patients
2) The reduction of pain or risk during covid to patients
3) If the project made a difference to patient care


 Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Nursing Project of the Year

This award is for a nurse- or midwife-led project that recognises the effectiveness of initiatives with clearly defined results and outcomes, originated by an individual nurse or midwife or a team. The advent of Covid-19 has limited the number of nursing projects attempted this year, but in turn, there have been many projects initiated to deal with the fallout of the pandemic.

€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will make the award based on:
1) The usefulness of the project in terms of managing patients
2) The reduction of pain or risk during covid to patients
3) If the project made a difference to patient care


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Outpatient Initiative of the Year

This award recognises innovation or excellence shown in an outpatient setting, for a project aimed at improving the quality of care delivered to this category of patients. This category was especially important this year in terms of delivering services and maintaining services to patients in the pandemic, so this year, the award also recognises initiatives designed to maintain and enhance outpatient services during the Covid-19 crisis.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for:
1) An improvement in services which is specific to outpatients
2) Keeping the service going as normally as possible during Covid-19
3) A project that demonstrably improves patient outcomes
4) A project that makes it easier for patients to attend, or increases attendance


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Patient Education Project of the Year — Non-Pharmaceutical

This award normally goes to Patient Groups – who are also eligible this year – but this year is also extended to any group educating the public about illness. In this year of 2022, that’s very likely to be Covid-19, or related to backlogs created by Covid – and we are looking for the person, institution, non-pharma company or organisation that has done the most to educate the public on a disease or illness.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for a campaign or an education project that:
1) Improved patient knowledge and understanding on a certain topic
2) Overcame the Covid restrictions and still got out an important message
3) Educated the public on vaccines – or any other aspect of public health on Covid
4) Dismantled the arguments of non-scientific groups who put out misinformation on Covid or other diseases
5) Advocated for a scientific approach to vaccines, pandemics, disease and healthcare


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Patient Education Project of the Year — Pharmaceutical

For projects that have been established or supported by the pharmaceutical industry, aimed at educating patients, carers and the general public. Also included in this category are projects and initiatives designed to educate the public on vaccination, prevention of Covid-19 spread and other pandemic-related initiatives.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for a campaign or an education project that:
1) Improved patient knowledge and understanding on a certain topic
2) Overcame the Covid restrictions and still got out an important message
3) Educated the public on vaccines – or any other aspect of public health on Covid
4) Dismantled the arguments of non-scientific groups who put out misinformation on Covid or other diseases
5) Advocated for a scientific approach to vaccines, pandemics, disease and healthcare


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Patient Organisation Project of the Year

This award recognizes the work of patient organizations and their efforts to educate both the public and their own patients on issues related to their disease or condition.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

Submissions should demonstrate:
The need and effectiveness of the project in terms of patient or public education – especially in a time when Covid-19 has dominated headlines and made publicity for other conditions difficult.


The judges will look for:
1) Evidence that the project has had an impact on public/patient knowledge
2) A demonstration of how widely the message was spread
3) How the project managed the Covid aspect of healthcare today
4) Patient improvement achieved through the project


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Primary Care Innovation of the Year

NEW TO 2022

This is a new award that will be judged separately. It is for an innovation in Primary Care that led to better outcomes for patients, greater efficiencies in clinics, new treatments or methods that lead to better overall Primary Care - and most importantly, an innovation that can be applied generally across other practices.
Free entry

Note: For information on how to enter this category, please see this page.
This category is now closed

The project will be judged on:
• Its relevance to patients
• Its execution and implementation
• Its adaptability to other hospitals and institutions
• The improvement in quality it brings to patients’ illnesses


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Public Health Initiative of the Year

This award recognises the most important public health initiative of the year – whether that be directly related or indirectly related to the coronavirus pandemic. There have been many initiatives to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic – and many more to try to negate the effects of the virus on other diseases. This award is for the greatest achievement in public health – an initiative that has saved lives and improved public welfare.

€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will choose:
1) A public health initiative that has had widespread appeal.
2) An initiative that has improved public health in a measurable way.
3) An initiative that has helped patients cope with Covid – whether they be covid or non-Covid patients
4) A measure that can be shown to have worked well.


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Research Paper of the Year

This award recognises the best piece of research conducted in Ireland that does the most to advance knowledge of medicine and disease – with a particular emphasis on the current pandemic. We have seen the incredibly speedy response science has made to the appearance of the virus in terms of producing a vaccine response. This award goes to a paper that has produced original research that has helped us understand or combat the virus in some way – or equally, helped develop our understanding of another non-Covid19-related disease.
€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)

The judges will be looking for:
1) The originality of the theme and result
2) The usefulness of the research and its practical application
3) Where the research has been used


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Response to Covid-19 by a Hospital, Patient Group, Doctor or Institution

This one-off award recognises the effectiveness, ingenuity and excellence of projects or initiatives, aimed at or created or developed by healthcare management, hospital doctors, GPs, nurses, pharmacists, other healthcare professionals in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has created backlogs in other areas of care. This award recognises attempts and efforts to catch up on those backlogs, as well as specific measures to tackle Covid-19.


€ 249.00 +VAT (23%)
Submissions should demonstrate:
•The initial idea (aim), its development (problems faced) and growth (solutions created).
• Delivery/provision of the response.
• Improved outcomes.
• Improved efficiencies.
• Cost-effective delivery.
• Innovation: Unique features with specific measurable outcomes will also score highly.

Criteria that the judges will score against:
• Access
• Safety
• Impact on local and/national healthcare structure/well-being.
• Impact on healthcare/national structure workers (are they able to work better and in what way?)
• Impact on healthcare/national structure including in the vulnerable patients, if any.

The judges will score based on:
1) The overall effect achieved by the person/organisation nominated
2) The number of patients benefitting
3) The gain to patients – lives saved, disease limited etc
4) The potential to repeat or copy the best practice (if relevant)
5) Improved efficiencies/cost effectiveness

Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines

Student Project of the Year

The student project of the year is the best student project produced in Ireland during the past year. These have been extraordinary times for students – and particularly for medical students. Despite the difficulties, students have continued their work and this award seeks to reward the project that shows the most important advances in healthcare and medicine.
€ 99.00 +VAT (23%)

Criteria the judges will consider:
1) The depth and level of work involved in completing the project
2) Its relevance for patients and medicine
3) Difficulties in overcoming Covid restrictions (if any)


Your entry must follow our Entry Guidelines