COUNTY: Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted in the Provider Trust of the Year and Rising Stars categories of the 2014 Health Service Journal Awards.

The trust is in the running for the Provider Trust of the Year award alongside four other Trusts. The hospital’s deputy director of nursing Neal Cleaver is shortlisted in the Rising Stars category.

The awards ceremony will be held on 19 November at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

The Health Service Journal Awards, the largest celebration of its kind in the UK, were created in 1981 to recognise the projects and initiatives that deliver healthcare excellence and innovation.

By shining a spotlight on cutting-edge innovations and best practice, the awards give impetus to improving the quality of health care in the UK.

Dorset County Hospital’s acting chief executive Patricia Miller said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for these prestigious awards.

“The staff worked incredibly hard to improve the performance of the organisation and our appearance in the Provider Trust of the Year shortlist is testament to the progress we have made and the incredible amount of commitment clinical and non-clinical staff have given to the hospital.”

This year, over 500 unique organisations submitted over 1,300 entries.

The shortlisted organisations will now complete presentations and interviews to a specific judging panel made up of senior and influential figures from the health sector.

For more information on the HSJ Awards go to hsjawards.co.uk