STAR Awards

No matter what their job is, any member of NHS Tayside or health and social care partnership staff can be nominated, including medical and nursing staff, therapists, community staff, support staff and those who work in the more ‘hidden’ departments who may not deal with patients on a day-to-day basis. Any volunteer who is recruited by NHS Tayside’s volunteer service team is eligible for the Volunteer Award, such as drivers, welcome guides, gardeners, listening volunteers or ward volunteers.

It is quick and easy to nominate your STAR and both staff and the public have until 5pm on Monday 24 November 2025 to make their nominations.

Members of the public can nominate their NHS Tayside STARs in eight categories.

1. Clinical Staff Award
2. Support Staff Award
3. Clinical Team Award
4. Support Team Award
5. Young Achiever Award
6. Unsung Hero Award
7. Volunteer Award
8. Social Impact and Global Citizenship Award

There are also three more specialist categories which are open to nominations from NHS Tayside staff. These are the Innovation and Improvement Award, the Tayside Together Award and the Inspiring Educator/Trainer Award.

Please read the descriptions for each award to ensure that you choose the correct category before clicking on the relevant nomination form.

Please give as much detail as you can in your nomination about why the person or team you are nominating deserves to win. Give examples of what they did that went the extra mile and how it made a difference to a patient or to you or your family.

Nominations are open to staff and the public, except for the three specialist categories that can only be nominated in by staff – these are clearly marked.
Your nomination must be for an individual working in NHS Tayside or a Health and Social Care Partnership (delivering integrated health and social care services for NHS Tayside).

A doctor, nurse, healthcare assistant, consultant, surgeon, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, etc who goes the extra mile for their patient or colleagues/NHS Tayside. This award aims to recognise the high quality and compassionate clinical care that a clinician has provided for the people of Tayside.

Please note that teams and groups cannot be nominated for this award.

Nominate here for the clinical staff award

This category is sponsored by UNISON Tayside Healthcare Branch.

A domestic assistant, porter, receptionist, service manager, estates or catering staff, etc. who goes the extra mile within their job role helping colleagues/NHS Tayside or patients and visitors.

This award is for an individual involved in providing excellent non-clinical support services for people in Tayside.

Please note that teams and groups cannot be nominated for this award.

Nominate here for the support staff award

This category is sponsored by UNISON Tayside Healthcare Branch.

Podiatrists, physiotherapists, public health, healthcare assistants, nurses, doctors, a whole ward team of all job families that strives to deliver the best possible quality of health and care for people in Tayside.

This award aims to recognise the excellent quality of care delivered by a team in NHS Tayside. The team might be involved in providing excellent care at a Day Centre, an NHS Outpatients Department or community based service.

Nominate here for the clinical team award

This category is sponsored by UNISON Tayside Healthcare Branch.

A service delivery team, laboratory team, administration team, support services team e.g. domestic, porter or catering team that, although not directly providing clinical services, very much supports the delivery of high quality healthcare in NHS Tayside.

This award is for a team who, although not directly providing clinical services, very much supports the delivery of high quality health care in NHS Tayside.

Nominate here for the support team award

This category is sponsored by UNISON Tayside Tayside Healthcare Branch.

This award is for an individual, group or team dedicated to making positive change towards a smarter, safer, healthier, and more sustainable environment for people and the planet.

Somebody who champions diversity and inclusivity, demonstrates a strong commitment to social responsibility, and is making a difference at a local, national, or global level. In addition to their health or social care day job, also volunteers or supports global health or social care work.

Nominate here for the social impact and global citizenship award

This category is sponsored by NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation.

This award is for an individual aged 30 years or younger on the 20 March 2026 who has demonstrated outstanding achievement as part of their working life.

This award recognises a student, apprentice, trainee or employee from any clinical or non-clinical discipline, who has shown initiative, drive and excellent judgement in their work to achieve exceptional results.

Please note that teams and groups cannot be nominated for this award.

Nominate here for the young achiever award

This category is sponsored by NHS Credit Union.

This award is for an individual who, in the course of doing their job, makes a real difference for people in Tayside, but whose work often goes unrecognised.

It recognises individuals whose work has made a real difference to the lives of others in Tayside, while not attracting much attention – those willing to go that extra mile for the sake of others.

Please note that teams and groups cannot be nominated for this award.

Nominate here for the unsung hero award

This category is sponsored by Unite The Union.

NHS Tayside recognises the importance of volunteers in the work of the NHS in Tayside and the valuable contribution volunteers make to the quality of life of patients, users of services, carers, the organisation and the community.

This volunteer award is for an individual, a group or a team of volunteers who are recruited by NHS Tayside’s Volunteer Services team.

Tell us about the person or group of people who show dedication to NHS Tayside and its communities by volunteering regularly and going above and beyond their role.

Please note this award is open to individual volunteers, volunteer groups and teams recruited and supported directly by NHS Tayside’s Volunteer Services team.

Nominate here for the volunteer award

This category is sponsored by NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation.

Only NHS Tayside employees can nominate in the following three categories.

This award is for teams or project groups who work collaboratively with a range of colleagues to co-ordinate/deliver services across Tayside. This may be a clinical or support service which has input from a number of specialities across health and social care, or a group made up of representatives from various services coming together to deliver a project.

Individuals cannot be nominated in this category.

Nominate here for the Tayside Together award

This category is sponsored by NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation.

This award is for someone who mentors, supervises or trains other people on the job.

This individual is proactive in creating an environment that supports and inspires the learning and development of others through the use of innovative educational methods.

Please note that teams and groups cannot be nominated for this award.

Nominate here for the inspiring educator/trainer award

This category is sponsored by NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation.

This award is for an individual, a group or a team developing innovative ways to improve health and social care in Scotland. Innovation has many forms and this award recognises clinical and non-clinical innovation. It includes research, use of new or emerging technologies, new ways of working, or faster, smarter access to services and treatments.

It aims to recognise forward-thinking, innovative individuals, or teams, who have taken a creative approach to improve quality, delivery, safety or productivity within health and social care.

Nominate here for the innovation and improvement award

This category is sponsored by NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation.