Prof Alan Lobo, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Sheffield, and a longstanding member of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG), has been named a finalist for Clinical Leader of the Year at the 2025 Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards.

The nomination recognises Prof Lobo’s leadership of AWARE-IBD, an ambitious three-year project funded by the Health Foundation’s Common Ambition programme, which placed patients with lived experience of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease at the centre of service redesign.

Transforming IBD services through co-production

AWARE-IBD brought together a broad partnership of patients, clinicians, Crohn’s & Colitis UK, community peer-support groups, software developers and researchers. The team co-produced tools and interventions designed to make IBD services more responsive to “what matters” most to patients.

This included a Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) mapped to national standards, a personalised care plan now cited as a national exemplar, and an education programme for patients and professionals. The approach improved access to care, reduced unnecessary hospital admissions, and achieved a measurable improvement in patient-reported experience over a two-year follow-up.

Reaching underserved communities

A key element of the project was its work with communities facing health and care disparities. Through purposive recruitment and partnerships with local leaders, AWARE-IBD doubled representation from the most deprived population deciles and identified key barriers to care including language, health literacy, and stigma. This learning is now shaping broader engagement strategies for IBD services nationally.

Collaborative leadership

Prof Lobo embedded patient leadership throughout the project, mentoring a patient coach and establishing a Microsystem-based Quality Improvement (QI) group involving clinicians, nurses, administrators, and patients working side-by-side to design and test service improvements.

Reflecting on the nomination, Prof Lobo said:

“I am humbled and honoured to have been nominated for this prestigious national healthcare award. Putting patients at the heart of care is central to improving the everyday lives of those living with inflammatory bowel disease. I am especially proud that, led by patients, we have sought to treat the person rather than the patient, driven by what most matters to them, whether it be fear, stigma, anxiety or access to rapidly changing treatments. Our work with underserved communities has also given greater voice to people who are proportionately more likely to be admitted to hospital because of their condition. I am fortunate to be part of an incredibly talented and dedicated team. Being shortlisted for this award is recognition of all their hard work and their commitment to excellence and delivering the best possible care for our patients.”   

A national example of partnership in action

The AWARE-IBD programme has been recognised as a national example of patient-centred, co-produced service improvement, and continues to inform wider NHS work in personalised care and quality improvement across gastroenterology services.

The winners of the HSJ Awards 2025 will be announced in London on Thursday 20th November.