As a truly privileged OHPRA judge, I wonder whether those submitting for an OHPRA (NHS health at Work Network Recognition Awards), truly appreciate the impact their application has beyond the chance of winning.

As judges, we have the privilege of seeing occupational health (OH) and wellbeing, at its very best.

For most of the year, we focus on our own challenges, priorities and workforce pressures. The awards provide an opportunity to step back and see the incredible work taking place across the NHS. As someone who sits outside the NHS OH department, I am always blown away by the submissions. Reading them shows me just how much innovation, passion and determination exists within our profession and in the NHS. Especially as NHS OH departments have a lot of constraints and difficulties both financially and culturally within the organisations they service. This makes the quality of submissions even more special.

The OHPRAs were created to showcase and celebrate projects that support the ambitions of the NHS Health at Work Network and the wider occupational health and wellbeing agenda. The awards recognise OH departments are not simply delivering a service, but looking at how they can do things differently, improve outcomes and contribute to the growth of the profession and quality service provision. The award categories reflect key strategic priorities for all of us in OH, including developing our people, strengthening the evidence base, raising the profile of occupational health and wellbeing, and working collaboratively across systems.

As a judge, one of the most enjoyable parts of the process is reading the submissions. Every year I am struck by the quality of the entries and the diversity of ideas being developed across the country. They demonstrate that innovation is alive and well in NHS OH. I become fascinated by a service redesign, a workforce development programme, a digital innovation or a wellbeing initiative that has genuinely changed lives. Some projects are large and transformational. Others are relatively simple ideas executed brilliantly, and you wonder why no one else thought of it! What they all have in common is a difference to their teams, the organisation and the workforce they serve. What impressed me this year, was the number of submissions showcasing the multidisciplinary workforce in their teams. This is a step change and such a welcome one. We are stronger together and interdisciplinary learning is key.

Meeting the shortlisted teams is often the highlight of the process. You hear and see the enthusiasm of the individuals involved and the pride they have in what they have achieved. As one candidate said to me, I was expecting 3 questions but only got 2! That was because the submission was so excellently presented.

OH has always been a profession built on collaboration, and the finalists embody that spirit. There is a genuine wish to help colleagues learn from what has worked, avoid pitfalls and take successful ideas back to their own organisations. The awards are therefore about much more than recognition. They are about spreading innovation and accelerating improvement across the NHS.

Each year the winners are announced at the NHS Health at Work Network Annual Conference, held at Chesford Grange Hotel in Kenilworth. It is a lovely setting, surrounded by occupational health professionals from across the country. The atmosphere is always one of excitement and friendship. Everyone celebrates for each other and of course catch up with people that haven’t seen for a while or meet new people. Being an NHS event gives this conference and award dinner a common link and understanding. It is joyous when the runners-up and winners come up to receive their awards, Hilary Winch, as compere, truly does them justice.

For me, that is the real value of the OHPRAs. They remind us that outstanding occupational health and wellbeing practice is happening every day across the NHS. They showcase what is possible when talented people are given the opportunity to innovate. They provide practical examples that others can learn from. Most of all, they celebrate the people behind the projects.

And after reading the submissions, meeting the teams and attending the awards ceremony, I am always left with the same feeling: optimism about the future of occupational health and wellbeing. Because if these are the ideas, people and services shaping the profession, the future is in very good hands indeed. But it is also a time to reflect on all that is good from the past that is going forward into our future.

In that respect, this year was particularly special; our wonderful Professor Diana Kloss (MBE) received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Diana has shaped occupational health practice in ways few others have. Her deep knowledge of law, ethics and confidentiality, has supported and continues to support countless professionals and helped the field navigate some of its most challenging responsibilities.

But what makes Diana so admired is not just her expertise, it’s her generosity. Her clarity, her ability to make complex issues understandable, and her unwavering commitment to protecting both professional standards and the people we serve makes her a very person in OH. It was a privilege to see her contribution recognised, and a joy to share the evening with her, luckily seated directly next to her.

A richly deserved award for a remarkable woman. Congratulations, Professor Diana Kloss.

Janet O’Neill

Judge, NHS Health at Work Network Occupational Health Practice Recognition Awards (OHPRAs); Deputy Head NSOH; Head of PAM Academy. iOH Trustee, Board member Council for Work and Health.

The Council for Work and Health is proud to support and champion initiatives that highlight excellence in workplace health, and the OHPRAs are a shining example of how recognising success can inspire even greater progress across the sector.