Greater Manchester’s GM Care Record clinical safety approach recognised in 2026 HSJ Awards shortlist

Health Innovation Manchester and NHS Greater Manchester have been shortlisted for a prestigious national award in recognition of its work to improve patient safety across Greater Manchester’s digital health and care services.

The organisation has been named as a finalist in the Patient Safety Award category at the 2026 HSJ Awards for its work developing and delivering the Greater Manchester Care Record (GMCR) Clinical Safety Framework, a system-wide approach to managing digital clinical risk across one of the UK’s largest shared care record programmes.

The framework helps ensure that digital innovation supports safe, effective patient care by providing a consistent approach to identifying, reporting and managing digital clinical safety incidents across approximately 460 health and care organisations using the GM Care Record.

The shortlisting recognises Health Innovation Manchester’s leadership in creating a collaborative clinical safety model that brings together NHS Greater Manchester, clinical leaders, digital teams, suppliers and healthcare organisations to proactively identify risks, learn from incidents and drive continuous improvement.

Between April 2024 and March 2026, the framework enabled 35 clinical safety incidents to be formally reported, investigated and tracked through to resolution, helping to address issues including patient record integrity, care planning systems, clinical alerts and the presentation of critical information used in patient care.

Unlike traditional approaches that focus on individual organisations, the GMCR Clinical Safety Framework operates across the entire Greater Manchester health and care system, providing a shared process for managing digital risk at scale and ensuring patient safety remains at the heart of digital transformation.

Professor Jacqui Cooper, Chief Nursing Information Officer at Health Innovation Manchester, said:

“We’re delighted that this work has been recognised nationally through the HSJ Awards shortlist.

“As digital technologies become increasingly important in healthcare, ensuring they are safe, effective and trusted is essential. This recognition reflects the commitment of colleagues across Greater Manchester who work together every day to identify risks, share learning and continually improve the services clinicians rely on to care for patients.

“The GM Care Record is one of the most ambitious shared care record programmes in the country, and this shortlisting demonstrates how collaboration across a complex health and care system can support both innovation and patient safety.”

Building safer digital services across Greater Manchester

The GMCR Clinical Safety Framework aligns with national standards for digital clinical risk management and embeds patient safety throughout the lifecycle of digital services, from design and development through to implementation and ongoing use.

The programme is supported by a multidisciplinary clinical safety network, regular governance meetings and a standardised incident reporting process that enables organisations across Greater Manchester to raise concerns, investigate issues and share learning consistently.