Entries for the 2015 Building Better Healthcare Awards are being invited.
With 25 awards up for grabs across five classes, the annual competition, now in its 17th year, recognises and rewards outstanding work in the healthcare sector.
Entries must be submitted no later than 28 June, but we advise you to put in your nominations as early as possible. This gives us the chance to review content and advise you on any further information the judges may need to make their final decision. The later the entry, the less chance to provide constructive feedback.
All entries must be submitted via the online form. Click here for details. The process requires you to input details about the person or company sumitting the nomination. You will then be prompted to make your payment of £99 plus VAT via either credit or debit card or by requesting an invoice.
Once payment has been made and your entry is formally registered, you will be sent confirmation and this will enable you to go to the second stage of uploading your written submission and accompanying images. You will then be able to go back and tailor or update your entry at any point before the final cut-off date.
Once the awards officially close, the entries are compiled and sent to members of our esteemed judging panel. They will meet in early September to make their decision on the finalists, the overall winners, and any commendations. No details of this discussion will be made public until the awards ceremony at The Brewery in central London on Wednesday, 4 November, this includes details of any finalists. To make sure you are among the first to find out who the lucky winners are, call to secure your place at this year's event. Click here for more details.
Your award entry provides the only information on which the judges can make their decision. Therefore, great care must be taken and as much relevant information as possible provided
Entries in all categories must include a written submission of no more than 550 words. This should cover why the entry is a worthy winner, based on the criteria provided for each individual award. We advise that entries are written by the person most involved in the project or initiative involved. For example, in the building Design Category, the best entries will be written by the principal architect involved.
In the case of the Building Design category, the judges will be looking for projects which take healthcare architecture a step forward. They will want to see synergy between building design and modern and emerging clinical pathways. They will also want to see, as standard, a commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability, and how the building enhances and improves the experience for patients, staff and visitors.
Entries must, therefore, cover, both general information about the building itself, and how it impacts on the delivery of top-quality health services.
In terms of images, within all categories the judges will accept up to nine images. Images must be no larger that 10MB and video submissions are not permitted. For Building Design entries these images should all be of the actual building, not artists' impressions. The judges also require a floorplan or blueprint so they can see how the building and the rooms work as a whole across the development.
In the Patient Experience category, the judges will want details of how the particular scheme enhances the patient, staff or visitor experience. Product entries must provide clear detail of how each item works and outline how this is different, and a clear improvement, on existing equipment.
More-indepth guidance on each individual awards class will be provided over the coming weeks.
Awards organiser and Building Better Healthcare editor, Jo Makosinski, said: "Your award entry provides the only information on which the judges can make their decision. Therefore, great care must be taken and as much relevant information as possible provided."