Celebrating success at the HPMA awards
HPMA Excellence in People Awards 2026
We're delighted to congratulate the winners of this year's Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) Excellence in People Awards.
The awards recognise teams making a real difference to people who work in public services. This year's winners show what can be achieved through inclusive leadership, strong partnership working and a commitment to staff wellbeing.
The winners
The awards were announced on 12 November in Bristol. Winners in the workforce and EDI categories include:
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust won the award for achieveing impact through open and inclusive leadership. Its Project SEARCH programme has supported young people with a learning disability or autism into paid work for ten years.
- NHS Greater Manchester won the award for exemplary systems workforce planning and development. Its T Level Health and Care placement programme has widened routes into health and care careers.
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust won the partnership working award, sponsored by the Social Partnership Forum. It worked with Unison and GMB to move over 400 soft facilities management staff onto Agenda for Change terms and conditions.
- London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust won the award for excellence in employee engagement. Its Team-Based Rostering gives staff more say on their shifts.
- Barts Health NHS Trust won the award for best use of an avoidable employee harm approach, for its Pause and Reflect Panel.
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust won People Team of the Year for its workforce supply team. Its Chief People Officer, Funmi Onamusi, was named People Leader of the Year.
"Congratulations to all of this year's winners and finalists. These awards show the care, creativity and commitment of people teams across the NHS and wider public services. From inclusive leadership to fair terms and conditions and better support for staff wellbeing, the work makes a real difference to colleagues and the patients they care for. We're proud to celebrate them and keen to help others learn from them." - Ben Morrin, CEO, NHS Employers.
Read the full list of winners in the 2026 Winners Guide.
