A Black Country programme supporting childhood vaccinations has been recognised at a national awards ceremony for its impact, innovation and collaborative approach.
The Under 5s Enhanced Recall Project – Support for Primary Care Vaccination Services, led by Black ICB Immunisations team, has won at the Excellence in Healthcare Partnerships Awards, which were held on 5 February.
The award recognises the success of the project in improving childhood immunisation uptake by providing enhanced recall support to GP practices, particularly in communities facing the greatest health inequalities. The programme works directly with families to address vaccine hesitancy, reduce barriers to access and support primary care teams.
Delivered in partnership with Black Country GP practices, ICE Creates and CHASE Ltd, the project was initially submitted in two categories, National Impact Project and Most Scalable Project. Following review, judges moved the project into the National Impact category and entered it into the Most Scalable Partnership category, recognising both its early success and its potential to be replicated.
Since launching, the project has already supported thousands of childhood immunisations and achieved rapid engagement from local GP practices, demonstrating the power of partnership working to deliver meaningful public health improvements.
Sally Roberts, Chief Nurse, Clinical and Quality Officer, Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull Cluster ICB, said: “This award is a real testament to what can be achieved through strong collaboration. By working closely with local GP practices, CHASE Ltd, ICE Creates and system partners, we’ve been able to design a service that genuinely supports primary care and families to protect children.
“The success of this project reflects the commitment of everyone involved to protecting children’s health and reducing health inequalities across our communities.”
Lead GP Partner, Executive Steering Committee Member and Judge, said: “This submission was a great example of what happens when practical human centred support meets thoughtful use of technology.
“An increase in vaccination uptake in some of the most deprived communities is no small achievement. Credit to the Black Country ICB and the CHASE team for focusing on person-centred conversations and doing the hard, patient-facing work that actually shifts outcomes.”
The ICB has praised the dedication and teamwork of all those involved and hopes the recognition will support further adoption of similar approaches.
The award was collected on the night by Claire Stapleton (Project Manager), Paul Westnedge (Project Manager) and Emma Busby (Chief Operations Officer) from CHASE Ltd, on behalf of the wider partnership.
