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Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT) is proud to announce that our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elizabeth Kendrick has been shortlisted for the Clinical Leader of the Year at the prestigious 2025 HSJ Awards. This recognition highlights the exceptional work and innovation demonstrated by the team and a testament to HCT’s dedication to driving healthcare excellence.

This year’s awards attracted more than 1,250 entries from across the health sector. With only 245 projects and individuals making it through to the final shortlist, the competition has been incredibly tough, demonstrating the impressive scale of talent, commitment, and impact across the NHS and wider healthcare landscape.

HCT’s shortlisted entry highlighting Dr Elizabeth Kendrick’s clinical leadership, was selected following a rigorous judging process and has been recognised as a standout example of excellence in healthcare delivery.

The 2025 awards judging panel was once again made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, including; Matthew Style, Director General, Secondary Care and Integration, Department of Health & Social Care, Mark Cubbon, Chief Executive Officer, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, NHS England as well as a range of esteemed Chief Executives from NHS Trusts across the UK.

Dr. Kendrick is a visionary clinical leader who has pioneered proactive models of care that align with the NHS's ambition to shift services closer to home. She has led the development of Hospital at Home in east and north Hertfordshire, proactive care and digital remote monitoring, demonstrating outstanding impact on patient outcomes, system efficiency, and staff engagement. Her leadership has directly contributed to reducing admissions, improving end-of-life care, and tackling health inequalities. Dr Kendrick’s inclusive, evidence-based approach is already delivering the “left shift” in care and actively shaping the future of NHS service delivery.

Dr. Kendrick who is delighted to be shortlisted, said: “Being shortlisted for Clinical Leader of the Year is truly an honour, but this is really a celebration of my colleagues across HCT. Their commitment, compassion, and teamwork give me the freedom to innovate and always put patients first. Together, we’re creating new ways to deliver care that makes a real difference to people’s lives.

“Regardless of the outcome on the night, we’re thrilled to be able to share our journey and learnings with others across the sector, and to celebrate what’s possible when we come together to deliver better care.”

HSJ Editor Alastair McLellan commented:

“On behalf of all my colleagues, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate Dr Kendrick on being shortlisted as a finalist in the category of Clinical Leader of the Year. All of the applications represent the ‘very best of the NHS’ and often leave our esteemed panel of judges with an impossible choice!

“Year on year the number of entrants continue to rise which I find so encouraging and is testament to the effect that HSJ Awards can have on improved staff culture and morale.

“We’re all very much looking forward to welcoming our finalists to the awards ceremony in November, celebrating their impressive achievements and jointly acknowledging our values of sharing best practice, improving patient outcomes and continuously driving for better service. But we never forget that the award ceremony is not just a celebration within a night, but a platform to recognise the hard work of all our NHS staff, all year round.”

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 20th November 2025 at Evolution London. The event celebrates excellence in healthcare, promotes best practice, and recognises the people and projects improving outcomes for patients nationwide. For more details on the 2025 HSJ Awards shortlist, visit https://awards.hsj.co.uk.