Our digital medicines team wins prestigious national recognition at the HSJ Digital Awards 2025

We are delighted to share that our trust has been named winner in the 'Improving Medicines Management and Pharmacy through Digital' category at the HSJ Digital Awards 2025, recognising our outstanding achievements in harnessing digital technology to improve healthcare outcomes across the UK.

The HSJ Digital Awards, held on Thursday 26 June at the ICC in Birmingham, celebrate the power of digital initiatives to transform patient care, improve access to services, and deliver more efficient, equitable healthcare. Our trust was recognised for its successful integration of the Better Meds ePMA and Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS) into the Somerset Integrated Digital e-Record (SIDeR) system, which impressed the judges with its impactful innovation and scalability.

In feedback to the team, judges were impressed with the extremely wide reaching examples of first of type developments and evidence of a long and highly innovative journey. They commented on the evidence of trailblazing a large amount of important and difficult things so others can benefit, and that they had gathered clear and striking user feedback and metrics showing the benefits from good engagement including with patients.

Dr Mel Iles, our chief medical officer, says: “I am delighted for our team, its wonderful recognition of the work they have done around digital medicines, which will lead to a step change in medication safety. We are the first provider organisation to implement the EPS and this is going to be a game changer for clinicians and patients, allowing patients to collect medications from their local pharmacy.

“Winning this award is a testament to the dedication of our team and our commitment to leveraging digital solutions that make a real difference to patient care and outcomes.”

This national recognition underscores our trust's role as a digital leader within the NHS and wider healthcare community, and highlights the importance of innovation, collaboration, and patient-centric design in driving forward digital transformation.

“The improvements we are making to medication management reduces errors and delivers positive patient outcomes," adds David Chalkley, our clinical safety officer, deputy chief clinical information officer and associate director of pharmacy.

"Projects like this aren’t easy and they don’t ever go 100% to plan but recognition like this gives a real boost to the clinical and digital colleagues working so hard to realise the benefits for patients’ and colleagues alike.

“Improvements in medication management will continue to develop and be a priority. It gives us a positive reinforcement that helps drive our work forward.”

The award is also in recognition of the integration of the trust’s medicines management team with the Somerset Integrated Digital electronic Record (SIDeR), which is a collaboration between NHS Somerset ICB, general practice and other health and care provides across Somerset.

Our colleagues at Better, the platform ePMA and electronic prescription services is hosted through, said: “We’re so proud of the Somerset team for winning the HSJ Digital Award for Improving Medicines Management and Pharmacy Through Digital. Rolling out EPS hasn’t just been a technical project — it’s been a real partnership built on trust, shared learning, and a drive to make a difference. This award is a well-deserved recognition of that work, and we’re excited to see how this strong digital foundation will continue to grow and support even greater impact in the future. It’s been a joy to be part of the journey so far — and we can’t wait for what’s next.”

Stuart Hill, our chief information officer, adds: “Congratulations to everyone involved in this work, as well as our wider digital team. There isn’t one person who doesn’t contribute to projects like ePMA and the electronic prescription service, whether that’s within our digital medicines team, supporting users via our systems and service desk functions or ensuing our systems are maintained to the highest possible standard.

“Recognition like this puts Somerset on the map for leading in these innovations and demonstrates the opportunities we have as an integrated trust to truly transform care.”