A Bolton based community healthcare provider has won a national award.

ABL Health, in partnership with North of England Commissioning Support Unit and Her Majesties Prison and Probation Service, won Procurement Project of the Year at the 2020 HSJ (Health Services Journal) Partnership Awards on 27 February in London.

The healthcare provider was tasked with engaging prisoners in the North of England so that they were more involved in the healthcare commissioning process.

In 2019, ABL Health supported and trained a serving prisoner to be a member of an evaluation panel for prison healthcare.

This enabled the perspectives of those at the receiving end to be taken into account when making decisions on establishing prison healthcare services.

Kerry Holmes, Head of Service at ABL Health, said: "Being recognised for the work we do, supporting the involvement of prisoners in the procurement of prison healthcare is a huge achievement and reinforces our values of reducing health inequalities for all, regardless of their background.

"We believe everyone should have a voice regarding the healthcare they receive.

"The men and women we work with in prisons across the North of England have a great deal of knowledge, skills and passion which is proving to be invaluable in the design, delivery and procurement of the prison healthcare services.

"Our vision is that one day, fully involving service users in decisions about their own healthcare won't win awards, it will be the norm."

HSJ editor Alastair McLellan, who hosted the awards, said: "Congratulations to ABL Health on winning the Procurement Project of the Year at this year's HSJ Partnership Awards.

"Each of the Winners at the awards have been chosen based on their outstanding commitment to collaboration with the NHS and innovation in healthcare."

The awards celebrate the work that the NHS does with private and third sectors.