Imperial College Health Partners (ICHP) is delighted to announce that a North West London (NWL) partnership project focused on optimising hospital discharge has been shortlisted for the ‘Driving Efficiency through Technology’ Award at this year’s HSJ Awards.
This partnership project – involving ICHP as NWL’s innovation partner, The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS FT, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS FT, Hillingdon Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea – enabled the scaling of digital innovation, OPTICA, through supported implementation.
OPTICA is a digital tool helping health and social care teams in North West London support people to leave hospital sooner and more safely when they are clinically ready. Developed in response to significant pressure on hospital beds and delays in discharge, it gives teams across hospitals and local authorities a shared, up-to-date view of each patient’s discharge plan, replacing spreadsheets, emails and manual tracking.
By improving coordination and reducing duplication, OPTICA has already helped cut unnecessary bed days by 23% at Hillingdon, released 990 staff hours and delivered estimated annual productivity savings of more than £62,000.
1300+ entries were received for this year’s HSJ Awards, with 231 projects and individuals reaching the final shortlist. The high volume and exceptional quality of applications showcases the impressive levels of innovation and care continually being developed within the UK’s healthcare networks.
Matthew Chisambi, Director at Imperial College Health Partners, said:
“Improving hospital discharge is complex, with teams often working across different organisations, systems and pressures. OPTICA shows the value of tackling that challenge through partnership – combining technology with the practical work needed to support adoption, improve processes and build confidence among staff.
“By giving hospital and local authority teams a shared view of discharge plans, OPTICA helps to reduce duplication, improve coordination and free up valuable staff time. The results at Hillingdon show what can be achieved when innovation is tested carefully, implemented with frontline teams and focused on helping more people leave hospital safely when they’re ready.
“We are delighted to be shortlisted for this award alongside our partners, and proud to have the opportunity to share this success with colleagues across the entire sector, as well as showcasing everything we’ve learnt through implementing this project.”
HSJ Editor, Alastair McLellan, said:
“It always gives me great pleasure to congratulate our finalists at this stage of the judging process, and this year is no exception as we acknowledge the North West London collaboration for being shortlisted in the category of Driving Efficiency through Technology Award.
“However, it’s always important to remember that the HSJ Awards are not just a celebration of success stories but also a platform to shape the future of the NHS.
“We can’t wait to welcome our finalists to the awards ceremony in November and to recognise and applaud such impressive achievements across the sector.”
The full list of nominees for the 2026 HSJ awards can be found at https://awards.hsj.co.uk/shortlist-2026 alongside details of the Awards partners at https://awards.hsj.co.uk/partners.
