Shrewsbury Hospital Trust Wins National Patient Safety Award for Data-Driven Project
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust recognised for transforming care pathways for young patients needing surgical orthodontic treatment.
By Aisha Mahmood
••2 min read
AI
Close-up of a medical data chart with blurred hospital corridor in the background.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has secured a national patient safety award for a pioneering project that uses data analysis to enhance care for children and young people undergoing surgical orthodontic treatment.
The Trust, which operates the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, triumphed in the Advancing Patient Safety with Data and Analytics category at the 2026 HSJ Patient Safety Awards. This accolade is among the most esteemed in the UK healthcare sector.
The award-winning initiative, spearheaded by SaTH’s Orthodontic and Oral Surgery teams, significantly improved the pathway for young patients requiring surgical exposure of impacted maxillary canines, a common procedure within orthodontic treatment. Previously, patients faced considerable delays between Orthodontics referrals and Oral Surgery treatment.
By redesigning the patient pathway and employing data analysis to pinpoint risks and optimise assessment routes, the project has enhanced access to care and reduced waiting times. Consequently, referral-to-assessment waiting times have seen reductions of between 69% and 88%, with assessment-to-surgery times also falling substantially. Over 200 patients have benefited from these improvements to date.
Judges commended the project as an “outstanding, patient-centred initiative demonstrating how data-driven pathway redesign can improve safety, experience and efficiency.”
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"We are delighted to receive this prestigious national award, which recognises the dedication, innovation and collaboration of our Orthodontic, Oral Surgery and Service Improvement teams. This project has delivered real and measurable improvements for children and young people by reducing waiting times and ensuring they receive the care they need more quickly. It is a fantastic example of how using data intelligently can help us improve patient safety, enhance the experience of care and make better use of our resources. The success of this work is something our colleagues should be extremely proud of."
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"This project demonstrates that data is much more than a reporting tool. By placing data at the centre of pathway design, we were able to identify risk, redesign care and deliver measurable improvements in patient safety, patient experience and access to care. Winning a national HSJ Patient Safety Award is a testament to the hard work, commitment and expertise of the entire multidisciplinary team. Most importantly, it reflects the positive difference this work has made for the children and young people we care for."
