Digital innovation that’s saving up to five days of waiting for Essex cancer patients has been highly commended at a national awards event.
In Cancer Access, daily automated checks for missed appointments, is saving three to five days per patient, helping reduce waiting and uncertainty at a critical point in their care.
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s Automation and Cancer teams were recognised for helping make that improvement at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Digital Awards.
They were highly commended in two categories, Improving Back-Office Efficiencies through Digital and Unlocking Productivity and Efficiency with Digital. Both awards recognise organisations that use technology to deliver real, measurable improvements.
Across outpatients and cancer access, automation now supports more than 347,000 patient record updates every year, helping teams track patients more accurately, rebook missed appointments sooner and monitor urgent cases more frequently.
That all means cancer services across Basildon, Broomfield and Southend hospitals are now faster, clearer and more coordinated for patients, as Stephen Whittle, Head of Automation and Artificial Intelligence at the Trust explained.
“It’s great we’ve been recognised for creating smoother care and quicker decisions for patients through automation. By using modern technology to automate routine tasks, such as tracking tests, appointments and treatment records, it means our staff spend less time on admin and have more time to focus on patient care.”
The Automation and Cancer team have also just been shortlisted in another national award, this time for the 2026 SS&C Blue Prism Customer Excellence Awards, in the category of Transformation for Good Award, which recognises automation trailblazers. Winners will be announced at the end of June.
Erica White, Programme Director for Digital Enablement at the Trust, praised the teamwork behind the changes. She said: “The work these teams do helps to make processes faster, easier, and more efficient, supporting frontline NHS staff.
“This has only been possible because of the incredible people involved who challenged traditional ways of working and embraced innovation with purpose. It’s fantastic to see them continue to be recognised in these national awards.”
