Finalists are announced for The BMJ Awards 2014

Surgeons in Northumbria who trained surgeons in Tanzania in laparoscopic techniques, and gastroenterologists in London who shortened patients’ wait for gastrointestinal tests through a GP “straight to test” service, are among the diverse range of medical teams to make the list of finalists for The BMJ Awards 2014, held in association with the medical defence union MDDUS.

This year more than 400 entries were received for the awards, which are now in their sixth year—a 30% increase on 2013, when the number of entries was just under 300.1 The entries were whittled down to a shortlist of 59 who will go on to the final stage. For the first time this will involve face to face interviews and peer review.

The winners will be announced on 8 May at a prestigious ceremony in London, along with the recipient of a lifetime achievement award sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline.

The categories for 2014 include team awards for cancer care, diabetes, gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, surgery, primary care, emergency medicine, education, and clinical leadership. Other awards include research paper of the year and innovation in healthcare.

This year there is also a special patient safety team award to mark Don Berwick’s recent review of the NHS. The finalists include Victoria’s Legacy—a campaign by Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust underpinned by a series of pledges on safety and transparency, which was conceived after the death of Victoria Harrison as a result of failure to rescue after a laparoscopic appendectomy.

The awards …