Staff at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital have been recognised for their innovative efforts to improve access to care and address health inequalities, at an international awards ceremony celebrating excellent patient care.
The new hospital, run by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, was the focal point of the award submission which scooped The Alliance Medical Health Inequalities Award at the Royal College of Physicians’ Excellence in Patient Care Awards.
Dr Sarb Clare MBE, Acute Medical Consultant and lead for Same Day Emergency Care presented the case study which was applauded by representatives of Trusts from across the UK and further afield.
She was joined in representing the Trust by colleagues Marsha Jones, Associate Chief Nurse, Emma Loosley, Head of Commissioning and Jayne Dunn, Director of Commissioning at the awards ceremony, held in Liverpool last night (10 July).
Diane Wake, Chief Executive of the Trust commented: “This award is testament to the ambition of our staff to provide a healthcare service equal for all.
“I am personally delighted to be leading an organisation of such passion and commitment to our population to provide the very best service in health we can, and our new Midland Met hospital is the anchor of that ambition, giving us the platform to build upon.
“Thanks to the Royal College of Physicians for this recognition and to Dr Sarb Clare, Jayne Dunn, Marsha Jones and Emma Loosley for representing us so well, and sharing the impact of our vision with colleagues across the UK.”
The Midland Met hospital opened in October 2024 and planning ensured local communities were involved in the early stages of designing patient pathways, including how stroke patients are stabilised before they are moved out of emergency care and into a rehabilitation hospital to continue their recovery.
The hospital located in Smethwick, has also been the catalyst to regenerate the local area, creating employment opportunities for local people through Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes and providing dedicated space for a community garden and art gallery to improve the experience of patients and the local population.
The first university campus in Smethwick – the Learning Campus – will be opening on site in January next year and will provide training for nurses and medical students, ahead of clinical placements within the hospital.
Speaking after the ceremony, Dr Sarb Clare said: “It’s a real honour for the staff at the Midland Met and their dedicated work addressing health inequalities to be recognised with this award from the Royal College of Physicians.
“Our objective has always been to improve the life chances of our people of Sandwell and West Birmingham. The Midland Met not only addresses health inequalities but is an enabler for regeneration, education, employment and will be a beacon of hope for our population.”
The Royal College of Physicians is a global professional body with over 40,000 members and aims to improve the quality of patient care by raising the professional standards of physicians.
The Excellence in Patient Care Awards also recognised the work of its members in the areas of patient safety, digital transformation, and service change.