Written by Pranjali Shewale on 10/11/2025
A Night of Pride and Celebration
On Tuesday, 22 October 2025, the NATH team had the incredible honour of attending the Nursing Times Awards at the JW Marriott, London, one of the biggest nights in the nursing calendar. Surrounded by so many passionate professionals, innovators, and leaders from across the UK, the atmosphere was electric.
It wasn’t just about recognition, it was a celebration of dedication, innovation, and the power of nursing to make lasting change. For us at NATH, it was a moment to pause, reflect, and truly celebrate how far our General Practice Nurses (GPNs) have come.
Celebrating Our GPN Mid-Career Fellowship Finalists
This year, we were incredibly proud to see four of our GPN Mid-Career Fellows — Hollie Bloom, Emily Feely, Anna Davis, Rachel Burrows and Katie Smalley, named as finalists at the awards.
Their project, developed through the GPN Mid-Career Fellowship, was shortlisted under the Nursing in Primary Care of the Year category, a testament to the innovation, collaboration, and leadership that our nurses demonstrate every day.
For these nurses, the fellowship has been about more than career development, it’s been a platform to lead change, share expertise, and improve the experience of staff and patients alike.
Seeing them recognised on a national stage was an emotional moment for all of us. The smiles, the nerves, the excitement, it was a night we’ll never forget.
A Night to Remember
The energy inside the JW Marriott was truly something special. Our team proudly represented Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, dressed for the occasion and ready to celebrate the best of nursing across the country.
Throughout the evening, we took countless photos and videos, capturing laughter, cheers, and heartfelt moments of pride. There was a real sense of unity among everyone present, a shared passion for making a difference through nursing.
Every story told that night reminded us why we do what we do, from ground breaking research to community initiatives and education programmes that change lives.
What the Judges Said
The feedback from the judges filled us with pride and reinforced the impact of the work being done across our system:
This is a promising nurse-led leadership initiative designed to improve staff retention and provide practice nurses with opportunities for growth and recognition. It has demonstrated collaboration across the ICS, strong stakeholder engagement, and morale-boosting activities such as celebratory events.
Judges highlighted its clear structure, strong transferability, and relevance to undervalued nursing groups. The project has already produced positive data and allowed nurses to lead their own projects.
Some judges felt it may be slightly early for award entry, with further evaluation required, and funding remains a key factor for wider replication. Overall, it was considered innovative, inspiring, and transferrable, with evidence of strong leadership and positive workforce impact.
These comments reflect everything that our fellowship stands for, empowerment, growth, and the recognition that nurses are leaders, innovators, and essential voices in shaping the future of primary care.
About the GPN Mid-Career Fellowship
The GPN Mid-Career Fellowship is one of NATH’s proudest initiatives, designed to empower experienced nurses to take the next step in their careers.
Through mentorship, leadership development, and project-based learning, the programme gives nurses the time and support to explore areas they’re passionate about and create tangible improvements in their workplaces.
From reviewing and improving services to enhancing patient pathways and workforce wellbeing, each fellowship project tells a story of leadership, collaboration, and positive change.
For our finalists, that journey has been transformative, both professionally and personally. As Hollie Bloom shared in her own fellowship reflection, “You can really get your teeth stuck into something you feel passionate about and bring productive changes to your way of working.”
👉 Interested in joining the next GPN Mid-Career Fellowship?
Explore Our GPN Fellowship Case Studies
Curious to learn more about the incredible projects led by our GPN Fellows?
From developing housebound patient reviews to creating relaxed vaccination clinics for people with learning disabilities, their work is already making a real difference across Nottinghamshire.
💡 Explore their case studies to see how nurse-led innovation is improving patient care and inspiring the next generation of leaders.
💙Gratitude and Looking Ahead
We are immensely proud of Hollie, Emily, Anna, and Katie, not only for their hard work and achievements, but for the way they’ve represented Nottinghamshire with passion and integrity.
We also want to thank everyone who supported them along the way, mentors, colleagues, practice teams, and system partners who continue to make initiatives like this possible.
As we look to the future, we’ll continue to build on the success of the fellowship, strengthening opportunities for nurses to grow, lead, and shape the future of primary care.
Stay tuned! We’ll soon be sharing photos, highlights, and reflections from the awards night across our channels!
This moment belongs to every nurse working to make a difference. Congratulations once again to our finalists, and to every nurse across Nottinghamshire who continues to inspire change every day.
You are the heart of what we do. 💙
Share this post: