BHRUT super weeks shortlisted for Nursing Times Award 2026 (East London)

Key Points

• Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) has been shortlisted for the Nursing Times Awards for its high-volume “super weeks” surgical initiative.
• The programme is an innovative approach designed to tackle surgery backlogs by concentrating large numbers of operations into intensive, tightly scheduled periods.
• The shortlisting marks national recognition for the trust’s work in improving surgical throughput and patient access to treatment.
• Local reporting by the Romford Recorder and Ilford Recorder confirmed the shortlisting and highlighted the trust’s focus on backlog reduction.
• BHRUT has previously earned multiple Nursing Times nominations and awards in other categories, including cancer nursing, workforce planning and international recruitment.

Barking (East London Times) July 14, 2026 – An innovative approach to tackling surgery backlogs has earned national recognition, with BHRUT’s high-volume “super weeks” initiative shortlisted for a Nursing Times Award. Local journalists covering the trust confirmed the development, noting that the programme concentrates large numbers of operations into intensive, tightly scheduled periods to clear waiting lists more quickly.

What are BHRUT’s high-volume ‘super weeks’ and why have they been shortlisted?

As reported by local health correspondents at the Romford Recorder and Ilford Recorder, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) has been shortlisted for the Nursing Times Awards for its high-volume “super weeks” surgical initiative.

The scheme is described as an innovative approach to tackling surgery backlogs, designed to increase throughput by planning and delivering a significantly higher number of procedures within concentrated timeframes.

The shortlisting signals national recognition for the trust’s efforts to improve surgical capacity and reduce waiting times for patients across its hospitals, which include Queen’s Hospital in Romford and King George Hospital in Goodmayes.

While the precise award category was not specified in initial local reports, the Nursing Times Awards traditionally recognise excellence in nursing-led service improvement, operational innovation and patient care outcomes.

How does the ‘super weeks’ model work to clear surgical backlogs?

According to coverage by the Romford Recorder and Ilford Recorder, the “super weeks” model focuses on organising “huge weeks of surgery” to address积压 backlogs. In practice, this typically involves:

• Pre-booking additional theatre sessions across multiple days.
• Aligning surgical, anaesthetic, nursing and recovery teams to work at increased intensity for defined periods.
• Prioritising patients who have been waiting longest or who are clinically urgent.
• Using detailed pre-operative assessment and pathway planning to minimise day-of-surgery cancellations.

Local reporting indicates that the initiative has allowed BHRUT to deliver unusually high volumes of operations in short bursts, thereby accelerating the clearance of waiting lists that grew during periods of reduced elective activity.

What have local media and the trust said about the award shortlisting?

As reported by journalists at the Romford Recorder and Ilford Recorder, BHRUT’s shortlisting follows an “innovative approach to tackling surgery backlogs” that has now “earned national recognition”.

The coverage highlighted the scale of the surgical effort, referring to “huge weeks of surgery” that have brought the trust into contention for a national nursing award.

While the initial local reports did not include direct quotes from trust executives or clinical leads, they framed the shortlisting as a sign of the trust’s growing reputation for operational innovation in elective care.

The Nursing Times Awards are widely regarded in the NHS as a benchmark for high-quality nursing and service improvement projects, and shortlisting alone is seen as a mark of distinction.

How does this fit with BHRUT’s recent record at Nursing Times awards?

BHRUT has a recent track record of recognition at Nursing Times awards across several categories. As reported by the Barking and Dagenham Post, the trust secured four nominations in one recent awards cycle, including recognition for a long-serving nurse, Aine Crowe, praised for her support to students.

In another instance, as reported by the North East London Cancer Alliance, an oncology and radiotherapy team from BHRUT was shortlisted for the Ingrid Fuchs Cancer Nursing Award after becoming the first trust in England to implement a virtual nurse-led clinic using the Noona platform.

Furthermore, as reported on the trust’s own website, BHRUT won in the Best International Recruitment Experience category at the Nursing Times Workforce Awards, beating seven other shortlisted trusts.

That award recognised improvements to the recruitment experience of international nurses, underscoring the trust’s broader focus on workforce planning and innovation alongside clinical service redesign.

Who benefits from the ‘super weeks’ initiative and what has been the reaction?

Patients awaiting elective surgery are the primary beneficiaries of the “super weeks” model, as it is intended to reduce waiting times and improve access to treatment.

By concentrating surgical activity, the trust aims to clear backlogs more quickly than would be possible through standard weekly scheduling.

Local media coverage has presented the shortlisting as a positive development for the trust and for patients in Barking, Havering and Redbridge, who rely on Queen’s Hospital and King George Hospital for a wide range of elective procedures.

The Nursing Times Awards platform is designed to share successful models across the NHS, meaning that if BHRUT’s approach is proven effective, it could be adopted or adapted by other trusts facing similar backlog pressures.

Background of the development

Surgical backlogs across the NHS expanded significantly during and after the pandemic, as elective activity was reduced to protect capacity for emergency and COVID-related care.

Many trusts have since introduced intensive recovery programmes, including extended theatre hours, weekend operating and “blitz” periods of high-volume surgery.

BHRUT’s “super weeks” initiative fits within this wider national effort, but has been distinguished by its structured, high-intensity approach and the scale of operations delivered within defined periods.

The Nursing Times Awards, which include categories for service improvement, workforce innovation and clinical excellence, provide a national stage for such initiatives.

Shortlisting indicates that BHRUT’s model has met criteria for innovation, measurable impact and nursing leadership, even before any final verdict on whether it wins the category.

Prediction: How could this development affect patients, staff and other NHS trusts?

If BHRUT’s “super weeks” model continues to demonstrate strong results, patients in east London are likely to see shorter waiting times for elective surgery and faster access to treatment for conditions that had been delayed.

For nursing and surgical staff, the approach may mean more intensive working patterns during “super weeks”, but also clearer prioritisation of cases and potentially more predictable scheduling over the longer term if backlogs are reduced.

For other NHS trusts, BHRUT’s shortlisting raises the possibility that elements of the “super weeks” model could be studied and replicated, particularly in areas with similar demographic pressures and waiting list challenges.

If the trust ultimately wins the award, that could further accelerate interest in its methods, prompting formal sharing of operational data, staffing models and pathway designs through Nursing Times platforms and NHS improvement networks.

However, the sustainability of such high-intensity periods will depend on workforce capacity, theatre availability and the ability to maintain patient safety and staff wellbeing during peak activity.

Should those conditions be met, the “super weeks” initiative could become a reference point for how east London hospitals manage elective recovery in the coming years.