A Royal Free London consultant paediatrician was shortlisted as one of the ‘rising stars’ in the NHS at the prestigious Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards.

Jane Runnacles was among 12 NHS staff nominated for the Rising Star Award which was presented during a glittering ceremony at InterContinental O2 in Greenwich. 

She was nominated by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and although she did not win the overall award she was delighted to have been shortlisted.

Jane said:  “it was a great surprise, but a real honour to have been in the running for this HSJ award. Part of the reason why I was nominated was for my work around quality improvement at the Royal Free London where we are working on recognising children’s deterioration a lot earlier in their care and improving the communications between clinical staff and parents. 

“It means a great deal to me to be nominated in the same year as Dr Peter Lachman [who won the Clinical Leader of the Year Award] as he was my mentor when I started at the Royal Free London. 

“I will continue to work on quality improvement at the Royal Free London and on national projects for the RCPCH. I hope my nomination will motivate front line clinicians to keep working hard to improve how we deliver patient care.”

Also at the awards, the Royal Free London won the acute sector innovation award for developing a new lung biopsy method.

ENDS

Image: Jane Runnacles (far right) and the RCPCH MedsIQ project team at the HSJ awards ceremony

About the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Free began as a pioneering organisation and continues to play a leading role in the care of patients. Our mission is to provide world class expertise and local care. In the 21st century, the Royal Free London continues to lead improvements in healthcare.

The Royal Free London attracts patients from across the country and beyond to its specialist services in liver and kidney transplantation, haemophilia, renal care, HIV, infectious diseases, plastic surgery, immunology, Parkinson's disease, vascular surgery, cardiology, amyloidosis and scleroderma and we are a member of the academic health science partnership UCLPartners.

In July 2014 Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital became part of the Royal Free London. Read 'A bigger trust, a better future'.