BMJ Group Awards shortlist announced Voting begins for Lifetime Achievement Award

The shortlists for the first ever BMJ Group Awards are announced today

Friday 30th January 2009 - The BMJ Group Awards recognise pioneering individuals and organisations that have made a significant impact on healthcare. The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award - for the individual who has made a substantial contribution to improving health care - will be chosen by BMJ readers in a vote on bmj.com.

The ten shortlisted for this award include Sir Michael Rawlins, Professor Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub and Dr Ann McPherson (the full list and biographies is on www.group.bmj.com/awards)

The awards ceremony, hosted by TV personality and comedienne Sandi Toksvig on 2nd April in London, will also reward prize winners in categories ranging from Achievements in Evidence Based Health Care and Quality Improvement to Innovation in Medical Communication, Clinical Leadership, Global Leadership, and an award for Research Paper of the Year.

Leading clinicians have been shortlisted including Professor Peter Rothwell for his pioneering work in stroke prevention and Dr Val Curtis for her work to promote hand washing which has saved lives globally.

Short listed organisations include GlaxoSmithKline for their work in developing countries and several NHS organisations are up for awards such as Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust for their work on clinical governance and infection control.

Seven research papers have been selected as candidates for the Research Paper of the Year. Topics covered include a trial for the effectiveness of home blood pressure monitoring and a paper discussing strategies for screening and preventing type 2 diabetes.

BMJ editor, Dr Fiona Godlee said: “ We are delighted with the enthusiastic response to our new awards and the high quality of the entries. This has helped us identify some of the best practice in healthcare and the outstanding contributions that are being made to improving outcomes for patients.”

Details on the full shortlist are at: www.group.bmj.com/awards