Clinical Impact Awards (ACCIA)

2024 Clinical Impact Awards applications open on 4 March and close at 5pm on 15 April. Due to changes in the ACCIA process, no colleges this year will be ranking applications or providing citations. However, on this page we provide you with guidance for writing your application.

The awards – which are overseen by the Advisory Committee on Clinical Impact Awards (ACCIA) – reward consultants or academic GPs in England and Wales who deliver national impact above the expectations of their job role or other paid work.

Applications need to be submitted on the ACCIA online portal by 5pm on 15 April 2024.

Due to changes in the application process made last year, the College no longer ranks applications or submits supporting citations. You can read more about this change on the ACCIA website.

The College will still provide encouragement and advice for members who wish to apply for an award. Please read on for further details about applying for an award and guidance on how to improve the quality of your application.

In line with our College values and our Equality Action Plan, we’re encouraging nominations from members of all backgrounds, particularly female and Black, Asian and minority ethnic doctors.

If you apply, you need to give evidence of impact across the following five domains:

  1. Delivering and developing a high-quality service
  2. Leadership
  3. Education, training and people development
  4. Innovation and research
  5. Other areas of national impact, with specific reference to NHS priorities, where relevant.

In all of the domains, you should consider providing evidence of national impact relating to equality, diversity and inclusion.

We would love to see a high number of applications from our members and we wish all those applying for an award the very best of luck.

Awards timetable

  • 4 March 2024 – opening of applications
  • 5pm on 15 April 2024 – Closing date for applications
  • Mid-January 2025 – notification sent to successful applicants

Application guidance

Please consult ACCIA’s full guide for applicants for further guidance on completing your application. You can also watch a recording of ACCIA's webinar for applicants. Example personal statements from those successful in 2022 are also available for you to consult.

When completing your application, please consult this checklist to ensure you're maximising your chances of success:

  • Have you dated all evidence?
  • Have you ensured that your job plan is clear and you've set out your role description and the expected deliverables from your paid role?
  • Have you included dated evidence from within the last five years only?
  • Have you described the outputs and impacts on the NHS of your national and/or international work?
  • Have you described the wider uptake of innovative work and research and how it has changed practice more widely?
  • Have you included comparative benchmarking of outputs against national standards?
  • Have you made sure to explain all acronyms and abbreviations or spelled them out in full on the first use?
  • Have you avoided repetition across the five domains?

Ensure that you avoid including evidence which is:

  • entirely narrative or only an activity list, without detailing impacts or tangible output
  • undated, or over five years old
  • exclusively locally focused, unless it shows a wider cascade and impact outside your locality or local remit
  • internationally based, without explanation of the direct benefit to NHS reputation or the wider UK health economy

Clinical Impact Award webinar

Watch a recording of last year's webinar with some top tips and guidance for those interested in applying from Dr Trudi Seneviratne, Professor Nav Ahluwalia, Dr Lade Smith, Professor Ashok Roy.

Please contact the Awards Administrator at awards@rcpsych.ac.uk if you have any questions relating to the Clinical Impact Awards. 

You can also contact the ACCIA Secretariat directly at accia@dhsc.gov.uk.

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