Welcome to the Community Hospitals Association
An Independent Voluntary Organisation
CHA Innovation and Best Practice Awards 2026 - closing on 5th October
Entries for the 2026 CHA Innovation and Best Practice Awards close on Monday 5th October. We welcome submissions from anyone working in a community hospital anywhere in the UK, whatever their grade, department or service, as well as from Leagues of Friends and volunteers.
This year's categories cover green initiatives, quality improvement, integration and continuity of care, person-centred care and innovative technology. Our judges will also select a President's Award from across all five.
If your team has made a difference, we would love to hear about it. Find the full guidance and application form here.
Our next event
Join us on Wednesday 7th October from 12.30-1.30pm for our next Special Interest Group discussion Digital clinical imaging to support community triage. We will be joined by Hamid Zolfagharinia, Head of Innovation and Deputy R&I Director, Research & Innovation from Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Hamid will share how the ISLA Care platform has changed the way staff capture and assess clinical images, from early use in pressure ulcer monitoring to its recent role in triaging unplanned care referrals. Early results show 64 hospital admissions and 275 home visits avoided, with estimated annual savings of £101k for the NHS trust involved. This project won the Innovation and Technology Award at the CHA Innovation and Best Practice Awards 2025. The session includes plenty of time for questions and discussion.
Read more here and book your free place here
