We’re delighted to announce our shortlisted nominees for this year’s Gill Schweigert Innovation Award – a celebration of creativity, collaboration and positive change across general practice in Coventry and Warwickshire. This award aims to recognise individuals and teams who have shown forward thinking, challenged the status quo and created meaningful impact in their local areas.
Innovation doesn’t have to be big projects, overhauls or new technology, it can be as simple as seeing a better way to do something and making it happen. This year’s shortlist exemplify that spirit; showing courage and leadership in turning ideas into real improvements for patients, communities and colleagues.
Our 2026 Shortlisted Projects
- From Reactive to Proactive Care – Victoria Foster, Apollo PCN. Replaced reactive GP call-outs to care homes with a structured weekly ward round, catching deterioration earlier across the network’s frailest residents.
- The Forgotten Patients – Dr Karen Clarke/Chantelle Walker, Meon Medical Centre. Built a register and home-visiting service for the practice’s housebound patients, halving GP contacts among its highest users and bringing overdue reviews and vaccinations up to date.
- Bringing Specialist Diabetes Care into General Practice – Katie Browning, Castle Medical Centre. Brought specialist-level diabetes management, including GLP-1, insulin and CGM, into the practice for around 750 patients, care that would normally sit in secondary care.
- Grow Your Own: Develop and Retaining – Melissa Evans, Broomfield. Created internal career pathways from receptionist through to practice nurse/ANP, growing and retaining nursing staff from within rather than relying on external recruitment
- Structured Teaching Programme for Student Nurses and Newly Qualified in General Practice – Kay Lines & Helena Paolozzi, Rugby Road Surgery Bulkington / Central Surgery Rugby. Delivered an 8-week structured teaching programme for student and newly qualified nurses, achieving 100% attendance and building confidence in general practice nursing careers.
Next Steps
The overall winner of the Gill Schweigert Innovation Award for 2026 will be announced at our award ceremony on the 12th November, where we will celebrate not just our finalists but everyone who has contributed to innovation across Coventry and Warwickshire.
Across all the nominations we received, we saw the best of general practice; creativity, passion and the courage to do things differently for our communities.
