ACCIA Information

April 2022

Applications for the 2022 round of the rebranded National Clinical Impact Awards will open on Wednesday 27th April and close on Wednesday 22nd June 2022. Details of the process and applications forms may be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clinical-impact-awards-application-form

I can confirm that despite discussions with ACCIA there is no recourse to appeal and the APAGBI, together with all other Anaesthesia Specialist Societies and Associations remain excluded from the new list of National Nominating Organisations (NNOs). We are therefore unable to support your application. The only recognised NNOs for anaesthesia are the Association of Anaesthetists and the Royal College of Anaesthetists. The complete list of registered NNOs may be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clinical-impact-awards-scheme-register-of-national-nominating-organisations

Statement from Association of Anaesthetists to specialist societies. 

In recent weeks I have been in discussion with William Harrop-Griffiths and William Fawcett, who lead on the Clinical Awards Scheme for the College and Association respectively. Both organisations are supportive but are unable to directly involve the APAGBI or any other Specialist Society in their process of assessment and support of award applications for the 2022 round. However, both have indicated that the iniquity of the new system based "equality of access" should be challenged and have agreed to work with us and other Specialist Societies on appealing the decision of exclusion once the work on the 2022 round is complete. In the meantime, if you are intending to seek an award in the 2022 round, please prepare your application in the usual way and seek support from the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) and Association of Anaesthetists (AoA). If your specialty involves liaison with other NNOs such as RCPCH or the Paediatric Critical Care Society, then you might also consider approaching these organisations for support. Information on support for application via the AoA may be found here:
https://anaesthetists.org/Home/News-opinion/News/National-Clinical-Impact-Awards

Please note that the deadline for submission via the AoA is 09.00 on Tuesday 17th May. Applications should be sent to secretariat@anaesthetists.org

Information can also be found on the RCoA website here:
https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/about-college/college-governance/honours-awards-prizes/clinical-excellence-awards-become-clinical

Previous update February 2022

Now rebranded as the National Clinical Impact Awards

The government response to the 2021 consultation process is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-the-national-clinical-excellence-awards-scheme

The key changes for England and Wales are summarised below:

1. Increase the number of available awards. Once the transition process for existing national CEA award holders has completed over the 5-year transitional period, there will be up to 600 awards granted annually in England. Once the transition is completed National awards and local awards are planned to be held concurrently
2. Re-brand the scheme. The awards have been re-branded as the ‘National Clinical Impact Awards’ to reflect to applicants and scorers that the primary focus of the awards is the output of activities rather than undertaking activities in the absence of describing their impact and results.
3. Re-structure the award levels. In England, the scheme now operates as a three-level award system: National 1 (lowest), National 2 and National 3 (highest).
4. Refresh the assessment domains. The assessment domains have been revised to combining both Delivering and Developing Service into a single new domain (Domain 1). Three domains (Domains 2, 3 and 4 have been renumbered and their emphases amended) and a new fifth domain has been introduced to allow applicants to include evidence of national impact from other unremunerated activities or where they have delivered impact over and above expectations.
5. Simplify the application process. A single level application process has been introduced such that applicants no longer apply for an award at a certain level. This enables applicants to attain higher level awards on first application based upon the score attained.
6. Remove pro-rated awards. Those working Less Than Full Time (LTFT) will no longer have their post 2022 award payments pro-rated.
7. Remove the renewals process. The renewals process has been removed. National Clinical Impact Awards will be held for a total of five years, at which point applicants need to re-apply.
8. Remove the pensionability of awards. National Clinical Impact Awards are no longer be pensionable or consolidated.
9. Simplify the process for employers. Employers only now need to indicate their support or their lack of support for an application and will be required to provide a citation for each applicant. Employer scoring and ranking are no longer required.

A blog from Professor Keith Davies (Medical Director of Advisory Committee on the National Clinical Impact Awards) helps to give context to these changes:>>>Blog

Planning for implementation is currently taking place with a view to opening applications around April 2022.

We will update this page as and when updates are received from ACCEA.

Further information may be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/advisory-committee-on-clinical-excellence-awards

Currently there are no plans for Excellence/Impact awards in Scotland and N Ireland.
A summary of the current status of clinical excellence awards in the devolved nations can be found on this BMA page:

https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/pay/consultant-award-schemes/consultant-award-schemes-and-clinical-excellence-awards-cea