BMA MEDFASH prize

For improving the quality of HIV and sexual healthcare

MEDFASH was an independent charity dedicated to improving the quality of HIV and sexual healthcare that ran from 1987 to 2016. The vision of MEDFASH was for everyone who needed it to be able to receive high quality, evidence-based sexual health and HIV care, including preventive interventions.

To continue the legacy of MEDFASH, the BMA Foundation will award a prize named after MEDFASH to an organisation or initiative exemplifying MEDFASH’s mission and values, which have been embedded in the assessment criteria.

The application window for the 2023 MEDFASH prize will open on 1 January 2023 and close on 3 March 2023.

Applicant criteria

Open to any health or social care organisation actively involved in the delivery of HIV and/or sexual healthcare in the UK.

Organisations may be nominated or self-nominated and should be currently working in HIV and/or sexual healthcare in the UK. Work submitted must relate to the preceding five years from the point of application. 

 

Applicants must submit the following documentation in PDF format:

• Duly completed application form
• A letter of support (maximum 1,000 words)
• Any additional supporting documents (up to a maximum of five)
  
  

Assessment criteria

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Setting standards
  Has the nominee improved standards in the delivery of HIV or sexual healthcare? Have they improved the quality of care delivered? Do new standards promote and improve equity in access to services and quality?
• Multisector working
  Does the work of the nominee promote a whole-system approach to care delivery with multi-agency or multi-sectoral collaboration? How does this approach overcome current fragmentation of HIV and sexual health commissioning? Does the nominee emphasise the value and importance of the multidisciplinary team in HIV or sexual healthcare delivery? How was the care pathway for people with HIV or sexual health needs optimised through the use of collaborative working?
• Patient care
  How has the nominee improved patient care and experience? Have changes in service delivery improved focus on outcomes of HIV or sexual health patients?
• Education and engagement
  Has the nominee improved education amongst non-HIV or non-sexual health specialists to diagnose and manage HIV or other sexual health issues? Has the nominee improved engagement amongst people living with or affected by HIV or other sexual health concerns?
• Leadership
  Has the nominee improved leadership and accountability to prioritise HIV or sexual health at either a local or national level?

How to apply

Please send you applications to researchgrants@bma.org.uk with "2023 MEDFASH Prize Application" in the subject line.

 

 

2019 BMA MEDFASH prize winners 

Individual prize

Erna Buitendam is a true champion for quality improvement in sexual healthcare. Her inspirational national leadership has enabled the implementation of high standards of care around the country, resulting in better sexual health outcomes for local populations. The panel is impressed by Erna’s ability to translate her expertise into pragmatic support for those working on the ground and by her facilitation of multi-sectoral engagement, which has empowered local commissioners and providers to demonstrably improve the quality of care for young people with chlamydia.

 

Organisation prize 

George House Trust stands out for its success in empowering and involving people living with HIV, whose participation is integral to the design and delivery of its care and support services, advocacy and educational work. The panel was struck by the two-fold impact of its Positive Speaker programme, which has shown that when people living with HIV are given a platform to tell their personal stories to professional audiences, it can significantly improve not only the practice of those professionals but also the confidence and wellbeing of the speakers themselves.