Two Surrey NHS teams are in the running for national awards after being recognised for finding new ways to improve patient care.

The teams at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals are celebrating after being shortlisted for the 2026 HSJ Awards.

The Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Workforce Planning Team is in the running for Workforce Initiative of the Year, after developing a system that uses real-time data to match staffing levels and skills with patient demand.

In short, it is about making sure the right people, with the right skills, are in the right place at the right time.

Fran Peplow, Interim Associate AHP Workforce Planning Lead, said the project was helping the trust provide safer care while making its workforce more sustainable.

There is also recognition for the hospital’s Urology Team, which has been shortlisted for Acute Sector Innovation of the Year.

Its entry focuses on TULA – Transurethral Laser Ablation – a pioneering treatment for bladder cancer that can be carried out under local anaesthetic.

That means elderly and frail patients can avoid an inpatient stay and the risks associated with general anaesthetic.

Consultant Urological Surgeon Sachin Agrawal said patients can be treated on a “walk-in, walk-out” basis, with up to six procedures completed during a half-day session.

Around 10,000 TULA procedures are carried out nationally each year, with the technique estimated to save 18,000 hospital bed days and potentially £15 million.

Jay Dungeni, Chief Nursing Officer, said: ”I am incredibly proud of both teams for achieving this recognition. This shortlist reflects their hard work, dedication and commitment to improving the way we plan and deploy our workforce and improve patient care.

"I would like to extend a huge congratulations to the teams leading these pieces of work and for helping to shape and improve processes that have the potential to benefit organisations across the NHS."

The winners will be announced at Evolution London on November 19.