Not sure which category to pick for your Staff Awards nomination? Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the category best for your nomination.
Step 1: Pick the best match (choose ONE)
The Staff Awards 2026 categories are open to individuals and teams across clinical and non-clinical roles.
Award Categories 2026
• Excellence in Care and Compassion
For individuals or teams who consistently show exceptional care, empathy and compassion.
• Innovation and Improvement Award
For new ideas, initiatives or improvements that have positively impacted services or patient care.
• Outstanding Team Collaboration (Clinical)
For clinical teams showing exceptional teamwork to deliver high-quality care.
• Outstanding Team Collaboration (Non-clinical)
For non-clinical teams supporting services through excellent collaboration and teamwork.
• Unsung Hero Award (Clinical)
For clinical colleagues whose valuable contributions often go unnoticed.
• Unsung Hero Award (Non-clinical)
For non-clinical colleagues who quietly make a significant difference.
• Volunteer Contribution Award
For volunteers who make an exceptional contribution to supporting patients, staff or services.
• People’s Choice Award
A special award where the winner will be voted for by staff members.
(Chair Award and Chief Executive Award are special recognitions selected by the Chair and Chief Executive.)
Step 2: Guide to nominations
The nomination form asks you to explain why you’re nominating, what stood out, how NHS Lanarkshire values were demonstrated, what difference it made, and to include a specific example.
A strong nomination can be as simple as:
• What did they do? (one or two sentences)
• Why did it stand out?
• What difference did it make? (for patients, colleagues or the service)
• One specific example that shows their impact clearly
Ready to nominate? Visit: https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/staff-awards/


