Organisers of the first ever private healthcare awards to take place on the island of Ireland say the event will aim to unite healthcare through the standardisation and promotion of the highest professional levels, rewarding the delivery of consistent, quality patient care.
Dr Carla Devlin, one of Northern Ireland’s leading NHS GPs and owner of two private health clinics, has joined forces with Sarah Weir, an accomplished events professional, to establish The Private Healthcare Excellence Awards, which will recognise exceptional practice and outstanding specialist practitioners working in the private healthcare sector.
Speaking of the need for the awards, Dr Devlin says; “the private healthcare sector plays a pivotal role in supplementing the public health system across the island of Ireland, offering professional patient care as its core focus. The sector’s ethos aligns with established national health objectives, delivering private care to a significant number of the population.
“The growth within the private sector has been exponential in the past five years, particularly in Northern Ireland where the NHS continues to face significant daily challenges in the care of its patients. This accelerated growth across the island of Ireland has, however, left gaps in terms of governance and care and there is a need to regulate the private sector to ensure equitable healthcare for all.”
The Private Healthcare Excellence Awards is an exciting, innovative venture which will facilitate collaborative, cross border shared learning opportunities, shining a light on practices and individuals delivering outstanding specialist care while also providing improved medical knowledge of digital care, focused specialties and pharmaceutical services.
The awards will have 26 categories judged by a panel of experienced, independent healthcare professionals and leaders within their respective fields including: Professor Ken Addley OBE MD, Consultant Occupational Physician and Visiting Professor in the Ulster University Business School; Dr Tom Black, General Practitioner with a distinguished career spanning over three decades; Dr Tham, Consultant Gastroenterologist and President of the Ulster Society of Gastroenterology; Professor Rita Devlin, Executive Director of RCN Northern Ireland; Professor Mark Taylor, NHS and private General and Hepatobiliary Surgeon; Dr Nick Young, Group Healthcare Officer at VHI clinic; Cathryn Edwards, Honorary Professor Lincoln University Medical School; Dr Aideen Keaney, Divisional Medical Director in an Acute Hospital Trust and Private Dentist Dr Joe McEnhill who is also a member of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the International College of Dentistry.
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Also on the panel from the health and business sector will be Amy Kelly, Chief Operating Officer at Crohn’s & Colitis Ireland; Suzi Murtagh, Principal Product Leader at Allstate and John Healy OBE, Chair at Invest NI.
Dr Tom Black, who will act as chair of the judging panel, insists, “It is important that an initiative such as the Private Healthcare Excellence Awards spans across the entire island. There shouldn’t be any borders when it comes to healthcare; we need to work with our Health Service Executive colleagues and private practices in ROI to marry best practices north and south, learning from each other to provide a robust private healthcare service that has patient care at its core. The Private Healthcare Excellence Awards are a fantastic platform to build upon such collaborations.”
The Gold Partner for the awards is Carson McDowell, Northern Ireland’s largest independent law firm, Event Partner, Ebrington Medical, a leading medical supply company serving primary and secondary care and Category Partner, Church Pharmacy, one of the foremost suppliers of medical aesthetics and pharmaceutical products to medical professionals across the UK.
Roger McMillan, Managing Partner and Head of Healthcare at Carson McDowell comments; “The increasing reliance on private healthcare has led to it becoming a rapidly expanding sector and one that requires specialised legal representation. At Carson McDowell, we have one of the largest teams of healthcare solicitors in Ireland, with unrivalled knowledge and experience in this field. Supporting the first ever all-island Private Healthcare Excellence Awards provides us with a welcome opportunity to add to the discussion about the key issues impacting those operating in the sector and to celebrate best practice in private healthcare.”
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The Private Healthcare Excellence Awards will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast on Saturday 17th May 2025 and will be hosted by Pamela Ballantine MBE.
Entries are now open, with 26 award categories available to view via www.phexcellence.com.
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