Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust (LWH) has been shortlisted in the HSJ Awards 2026 in the category of Excellence in Narrowing the Health Inequalities Gap for its work to make healthcare communication easier to access, understand and use for all patients.
The shortlisted programme, Redesigning Patient Communication to Narrow Health Inequalities, was created to tackle the challenges many people face when accessing healthcare information. These can include language barriers, difficulties understanding medical information, sight or hearing impairments, neurodiverse needs, limited access to digital technology and the need for more personalised support.
Working closely with patients, families and community organisations, the Trust has redesigned how it communicates with patients, making information more accessible and tailored to individual needs. Improvements include translated letters and text messages, British Sign Language (BSL) support, braille, accessible formats, clearer patient information, compassionate maternity and pregnancy loss communications, and personalised communication preferences.
More than 150 patients and families helped shape the programme through surveys, workshops and feedback sessions, ensuring the changes reflected real experiences and needs.
The Trust has also provided practical digital inclusion support, helping patients access devices, connectivity and digital services so they can engage more easily with their healthcare.
The impact has already been significant. At just 50% rollout, the programme has digitally notified more than,67,000 appointments, generated over 61,000 patient responses and achieved an average response rate of 83%. Missed appointments have reduced by 20%, while more than 60,000 letters have been accessed digitally.
The programme is helping to create a future where everyone can access healthcare information in a way that works for them, giving patients greater confidence, independence and control over their care.
Paula Brennan, Head of Artificial Intelligence (Interim) for Digital Services, said:"No one should struggle to access healthcare because of the way information is provided. By listening to our patients and understanding their individual needs, we have created a more inclusive approach to communication that helps people feel informed, supported and able to take an active role in their care. We are delighted that this work has been recognised by the HSJ Awards."