How Shraddha is using her love of technology to help improve care – and now she’s nominated for top award
CPFT’s learning and development consultant Shraddha Sharma - who combines her passion for technology with supporting learning and development of the fellow staff members - has been shortlisted for a national honour.
Shraddha, who is a chartered physiotherapist, is a finalist in the National Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Awards 2026.
The awards recognise the key role Allied Health Professionals have in the delivery of care for patients.
Shraddha, who has worked for the Trust since 2014 and joined the Learning and Organisational Development team three years ago, has reached the final four in the Digital Practice Award category.
She said: “I am surprised and very humbled to have been shortlisted in the CAHPO Awards. I just love exploring technologies and how they can be used to support our workforce to improve care and outcomes for patients.”
Some of the initiatives Shraddha has worked on include the use of virtual reality to allow staff to practise de-escalation techniques when caring for people in mental health settings, while another VR project supports colleagues to better understand the journey and experiences of people living with dementia and their carers.
This work is also helping the organisation understand how modern technology can support learning and development. By developing training based on real-life situations and local services, Shraddha is helping staff build skills and confidence through practical learning while supporting new ways of learning across the organisation.
Shraddha, pictured below showing Paul Bristow, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough how VR is used during a visit to the Trust earlier this year, said: “I believe the use of technology is a vital component in the training and development of our workforce, but none of the projects I’ve worked on were delivered alone.
“They’ve only been made possible thanks to collaborations with my fellow colleagues and vital input from patients and carers and the partner organisations we work so closely with.
“They’ve only been made possible thanks to collaboration with many colleagues across CPFT, patients, carers and partner organisations who have generously shared their time, knowledge, and experiences.
"Although I've been shortlisted for this award, it has been a real team effort. I'm grateful to have worked alongside Dr Thirza Pieters, Director of Medical Education, and Vanessa Moore, Technology, Design and Delivery Manager, who helped bring this work to life.
“Most importantly, it is about improving the care we provide at CPFT and sharing our learning more widely across the NHS."
The finals of the CAHPO Awards – hosted by Chief Allied Health Professions Officer for NHS England, Professor Suzanne Rastrick CBE – will take place on 14 October on Allied Health Professions Day. There are 14 AHP professions. AHPs are the third-largest clinical workforce in health and care and include the likes of physiotherapists, paramedics, speech and language therapists, dietitians and occupational therapists.
CPFT provides community physical health services for older people and adults with long-term conditions, mental health services, children’s community services, social care and learning disability services. The Trust is also renowned for its research and development work and, in June 2025, was awarded Teaching Partner status by the University of Cambridge.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Andy Burrows, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Deputy Head of Communications
E communications@cpft.nhs.uk