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Two innovative health projects in South Yorkshire have been shortlisted for national awards.

A well-being project aimed at improving sleep quality for health and care staff and the roll out of an app to support people with generalised anxiety disorder, are finalists in the HSJ Partnership Awards.

Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber and NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) are partners in delivering both initiatives.

The project, ‘Sleep Posture for Health Equity’ has been shortlisted in the Workforce and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year Category, in partnership with the Sleep Charity and sleep posture experts, Levitex.

Around 300 staff in NHS and social care roles in South Yorkshire took part, of whom 100 received individual sleep consultations. After just two weeks, participants reported 75 per cent improved sleep quality, a 40 per cent reduction in tiredness and a 64 per cent improvement in sleep disturbance.

South Yorkshire ICB Programme Director of People Experience, Brigitte Kaviani said: “We are very proud of the fantastic results of our sleep project, which was an initiative to address health inequalities – the factors which mean that some people are more vulnerable to ill health than others.

“Our ICB has a strong focus on sleep as a basis for good health and this project built on the success of our Sleep School and existing relationships with Levitex, Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber and the Sleep Charity.”

The project to implement the Daylight app offering digital cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shortlisted in the Best Technology Partnership category. It involved Primary Care Sheffield and mental health app provider, Big Health, working with South Yorkshire ICB and Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber.

The clinically validated technology delivers CBT via a fully automated smartphone app and in one year, was accessed by more than 1,500 patients in South Yorkshire.

Interim data indicates significant savings in primary care appointments and for those using the app, a reduction in time off work.

One patient described the impact of using Daylight on her day-to-day functioning: “Before I wouldn’t really leave the house on my own. Now I can go on my own for walks and just even running errands.  I caught a train to another city which I’ve never done before and it was all on my own.”

Another reported: “My thoughts are more in control… I can nip racing negative thoughts in the bud quicker.”

Dr David Crichton, Chief Medical Officer at South Yorkshire ICB said: “I’m pleased to see industry experts, the charitable sector, South Yorkshire ICB and innovation partners working together in partnership and it’s fantastic that this work is being recognised.”

The HSJ Partnership Awards recognise the strongest relationships between suppliers and the NHS and received more than 240 entries for 2026.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 19 March 2026.