Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (QVH) and Feedback Medical were recently recognized for their innovative digital breathlessness pathway that has successfully reduced patient wait times and unnecessary hospital appointments. The partnership was awarded the Most Effective Contribution to Clinical Redesign Award at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2025.
The collaboration between QVH and Feedback Medical has transformed the experience for patients experiencing breathlessness and improved ways of working for clinicians. The use of Bleepa®, Feedback Medical’s clinical collaboration platform, has provided the digital foundations for the pathway and facilitated asynchronous working between clinicians across primary and secondary care via the community diagnostic centre.
The winners were announced during a ceremony held at Evolution London on 20 March 2025, hosted by Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke. The event was attended by representatives from the NHS, private sector, third sector, and key players from non-clinical backgrounds. The achievements of positive partnerships were celebrated, acknowledging their importance in the future sustainability of the NHS.
The judging panel, made up of over 70 highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, selected the winners following a rigorous two-stage process. The finalists and winners were evaluated against five criteria: ambition, outcome, spread, value, and involvement. The success of the digital breathlessness pathway impressed the panel and was recognized for its ambition, outcomes, and value to both patients and clinicians.
The pilot programme was launched at QVH in Sussex in 2022 and has already shown significant improvements in diagnostic efficiency and patient care. It has reduced waiting times and unnecessary hospital visits by utilizing Bleepa®’s technology for asynchronous multi-disciplinary team collaboration. The pilot achieved a remarkable 63% reduction in patient waiting times from referral to treatment, surpassing the 18-week national target and significantly decreasing the number of patients waiting over six weeks.
Through the digital pathway, patients were triaged and necessary tests were scheduled, resulting in 90% of referrals being managed without the need for in-person specialist appointments. This approach has not only improved patient experience but has also led to multiple efficiency improvements with the potential to be scaled for other pathways.
Dr Ian Francis, Clinical SRO for Diagnostics and CDC programme for Sussex Integrated Care System, expressed his excitement about winning the HSJ Partnership Award and the recognition of the success of the digital breathlessness pathway. He also mentioned the keen interest from others in learning about their best practices and the potential for this collaboration to improve clinical and efficiency outcomes for patients.
Dr Tom Oakley, CEO at Feedback Medical, also expressed his delight in winning the HSJ Partnership Award and the strength of their partnership with Queen Victoria Hospital. He highlighted the improvements that have been delivered for patients and clinicians through the use of Bleepa®. He also mentioned their plans to expand the success of the digital pathway to other areas of the NHS.
The full list of winners for the 2025 HSJ Partnership Awards can be found at https://partnership.hsj.co.uk/winners-2025.
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