Clinical Impact Award 2023

Clinical Impact Awards are given by the Government’s Advisory Committee to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of NHS consultants, over and above what is normally expected in their job, to the values and goals of the NHS and to patient care.

There have been important changes to the National Clinical Excellence Award scheme which from last year became known as the National Clinical Impact Award scheme; we have gathered the recent updates below for your consideration. The call for applications are now open and the deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 28 April 2023. ACCIA have provided the provisional timetable below:

• 3 March to 28 April 2023– applications open
• 29 April to 26 June 2023– first round scoring
• 27 June to 4 September– N3 scoring
• 27 June to 6 November – governance review
• 5 September to 6 November– NRES scoring
• end November 2023– main committee finalisation of recommendations
• December 2023– recommendations to and sign off by ministers
• mid-January 2024– notifications sent to successful applicants and finance processes initiated to back pay awards
• mid-January to mid-February 2024– appeals window open

We have been informed that National Clinical Impact Awards (NCIA) scheme applications will no longer include rankings and citations from national nominating organisations such as the Society. We are able to offer guidance to potential candidates but have been explicitly told that we cannot edit or critique the text directly, as the application must be written solely by the applicant.

We have also been alerted by the British Medical Association that the non-pensionable status of the national awards may negatively impact on those currently holding a regional award.  The BMA have provided a report to help your understanding of the financial implications.

The report highlights the loss of pensionability and that in England, you cannot hold local and national awards concurrently. In light of this, BMA have developed a tool to provide an estimate of the value of any local pensionable CEAs you currently hold and the potential loss you may face if you forfeit it. This tool is for those who have legacy membership in the 1995 pension scheme and are based in England. Please note, this tool is only intended to be an explanatory guide and does not constitute financial advice.

If you would like to apply for a NCIA, application guidance can be found by the following links:

• Recordings of ACCIA applicant and employer webinar (Q&A to be uploaded in due course) – https://tinyurl.com/ACCIA2023webinars
• ACCIA printable resources (will shortly be updated with information relevant to the 2023 Awards Round) – National Clinical Impact Awards 2022: resources for applicants and employers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• ACCIA 2023 guidance for applicants - Applicants' guide: 2023 awards round - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Please do let the Society know, by emailing [email protected] if you feel that we can assist you with the application process.