Q&A with Roshani Perera, one of the Visions4Health masterminds behind this first‑of‑its‑kind platform for partnership working.
What was the original idea behind creating the EHP Awards, and why did it feel like the right time to launch them?
Whilst other awards programmes recognised partnership working it was only as part of a broader programme celebrating other facets of healthcare communications, marketing and service delivery. There was no one platform that purely celebrated and showcased partnership working – recognising all the elements that makes a successful partnership. We also wanted the awards to represent all sectors be it pharmaceuticals, HealthTech, SMEs, VCSE, and of course the NHS. With the publication of the 10-year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan that highlighted partnership working as essential to reaching the UK Government’s ambitions, it felt like the ideal time to bring partnership working to the forefront. Our vision for the future is to make multi-sector partnership working ‘business as usual’.
How did it feel to see the networking session and awards ceremony come together after all the planning?
We were delighted to have secured such a great panel to bring the topic of partnership working to life. Having both the ABPI and ABHI represent their respective industries and talk frankly to the challenges that still lie ahead was important. And to then see all the finalists and winners recognised was just fantastic and inspiring. You could feel the energy and excitement in the room, with winners celebrating well after the show drew to a close!
As Chair of the panel discussion, what stood out to you most from the conversation on the night?
I’m pleased that the panel shifted the discussion for what is on paper to what it really means in practice. We focused on leaders that foster a culture of collaboration, that is grounded in population health needs and is delivered with openness and transparency from across the sectors. For partnership working to truly be a success there needs to be alignment – alignment with the needs to the population, the needs of the partners and the needs of the system. There needs to be mutual respect and trust for what each party brings to the table and there needs to be governance and metrics hardwired into the project to ensure safety, assurance and accountability.
Having had some time to reflect on the event, how successful do you think the evening was, and what feedback have you received since the event?
We had over close to 30 entries which is a fantastic result for a first-time awards show with no format to fall back on. The calibre of entries was incredible, with a wider variety of partnership projects being submitted. We had over 150 guests on the night and the buzz in the room was electric. It’s been great to see winners and finalists share their celebrations on social media, and so many saying they plan to enter again. Also those who couldn’t make this year are already planning their submissions for next year.
If you had to summarise the impact of the evening in one or two sentences, what would you say?
We’ve cemented ourselves as the go to awards event for partnership working and plan to be a mainstay in the awards event calendar.
What would you like to see happen next as a result of this inaugural EHP Awards evening?
What I want to see is a culture shift in how the healthcare sector (both profit and not-for-profit) view partnership working. No longer seeing it as a nice to do, or concerned about motives and trust, to one that truly embraces it as an engine to transforming healthcare care and improving people’s lives. I hope the EHP Awards becomes a catalyst for deeper, more sustained partnerships across the sector.
