The Rowan Hillson Inpatient Diabetes Award is the national accolade celebrating innovation in safety and excellence in inpatient diabetes care. Established in 2014 and led by the Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care (JBDS IP), the award recognises projects that improve safety, outcomes, and patient experience.
The 2026 Award
Details of how to submit your projects (deadline 1 July 2026).
Why enter?
National Recognition and career enhancing visibility
Winners present their work on a national stage at the ABCD Conference, with complimentary registration, hotel stay, networking opportunities and UK travel for two team members. The 2026 conference will be held in Solihull on 4-5 November 2026.
Winning and runner up projects are showcased in JBDS-IP platforms giving you national exposure.
Winners are invited to submit their work for publication in the British Journal of Diabetes.
Celebrate your team and inspire the diabetes community
Highlight innovations that empower people with diabetes, improve safety and value, promote interdisciplinary teamwork, and demonstrate scalability and sustainability.
Build institutional pride. Past winners included projects improving insulin safety, care pathways, closed loop inpatient pump therapy and safer discharge systems.
Prizes and tangible benefits
Cash prizes for winner and runner up (£500 for the winning entry and £300 for the runner-up).
Funded national presentation opportunity (conference registration, conference dinner, accommodation, UK travel).
Boosts team CVs, Trust reputation, and improvement culture.
What are we looking for
Your submission should highlight improvement/innovation in one or more of the following areas:
- Empowerment: improving autonomy, education, or self management skills for people living with diabetes.
- Impact: demonstrable improvements in outcomes, safety, efficiency, or value.
- Collaboration: multidisciplinary work that strengthens teamwork across inpatient settings.
- Scalability: models that can be adopted by other Trusts or settings.
- Sustainability: robust, long term innovations with thoughtful use of resources.
Projects may be clinical, digital, educational, safety focused, pathway driven, or system level.
How to Apply?
Applications are submitted electronically via the online form.
Please prepare a concise summary a clear description of your improvement process and outcomes.
Deadline 1 July 2026
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who can apply?
Any healthcare professional or multidisciplinary team involved in inpatient diabetes care including DSNs, doctors, dietitians, pharmacists, QI teams, perioperative teams, digital/IT teams, and others.
Do I need my Trust’s R&D or governance approval?
Follow your local trust governance processes to ensure compliance with relevant requirements (e.g., data handling).
Can I submit a project that has already been implemented?
Yes. Completed, ongoing, or recently implemented projects are all eligible, provided you can show measurable outcomes or clear early stage evidence. Winners in previous years often submitted operational, real world improvements.
Can the same Trust submit multiple entries?
Yes, one team can submit more than one project. And multiple teams or departments within a Trust may apply.
What types of evidence should I include?
Quantitative data (e.g., hypoglycaemia reduction, improved discharge follow up rates etc) and/or qualitative evidence (patient/staff feedback) are welcome. Strong submissions typically demonstrate measurable impact and scalability.
What happens if I’m shortlisted but don’t win?
You are still encouraged to submit the entry as an article for publication.
Where will results be published?
Award outcomes are published on the JBDS-IP, ABCD, and other websites and socials.
When will winners present?
Winning teams are invited to present at the ABCD/DTN Autumn Conference, with expenses covered for two team members. The 2026 conference will be held in Solihull on 4-5 November 2026.
