National Clinical Impact Awards (NCIA) 2025 awards round
ACCIA has published a web page that provides information about the awards process for applicants, employers, assessors and award holders. The 2025 awards will open on 1 April 2025.
In autumn 2024, feedback from focus groups with applicants, award holders, employers and regional assessors highlighted the need to revise processes.
Key changes include:
- Employers will no longer have to write citations for each applicant. Instead, they will be asked to verify that the applicant is meeting their contractual obligations, has been truthful in their application, and whether there are any investigations and sanctions in place. Employers can still detail any concerns they may have, but this information will only be available to the central Advisory Committee on Clinical Impact Awards team who will investigate any issues raised.
- Employers will also be asked about their organisation’s Care Quality Commission or Health Inspectorate Wales rating. Regulator ratings will no longer be requested from the applicant.
- New award payments will no longer be backdated for the first year. From 2025 onwards, all new awards will be granted from 1 April the year following application. This means that awards in the 2025 round will start on 1 April 2026.
The employers' guidance helps employers to sign off applications from NHS consultant doctors, dentists and academic GPs for National Clinical Impact Awards (NCIAs), previously the National Clinical Excellence Awards (NCEAs).
Employers can visit the awards portal to support applications from employees.
For any assistance, you can contact the Advisory Committee on Clinical Impact Awards (ACCIA) secretariat on its email address (for employers based in England).
