Triple delight for Trust staff as they are shortlisted in prestigious Royal College of Psychiatrists annual awards
Staff at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust who launched a pioneering mental health treatment programme have been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.
Colleagues from the Peterborough Virtual Ward Clozapine Clinic, who are caring for patients via a ‘virtual ward’ as part of a ground-breaking NHS partnership, are among the finalists in the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ annual awards.
They have been shortlisted alongside another CPFT team, CAMEO – an early intervention service for people who are experiencing psychosis – and Dr Emanuele Osimo, a psychiatrist, who has made the finals of the awards for his research work.
CPFT Chief Medical Officer Dr Cathy Walsh said: “I am delighted for colleagues working in CAMEO, the Peterborough Virtual Ward Clozapine Clinic, and for Dr Emanuele Osimo. They are outstanding professionals who consistently demonstrate dedication to improving the care and outcomes of our patients.
“This recognition encapsulates the exceptional work taking place across our Trust — from our partnerships with the University of Cambridge to our collaborations with NHS and social care organisations — all focused on continually enhancing the quality of support and services available to those who need our care.”
Earlier this year, the Peterborough Virtual Ward Clozapine Clinic – shortlisted in the Royal College’s Psychiatric Team of the Year: Digital Mental Health category – began giving the first patients in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough specialist mental health treatment for schizophrenia via a virtual ward.
The move was made possible by CPFT linking with colleagues at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which operates Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford & Rutland hospitals.
The patients are treated with clozapine, an anti-psychotic medication. To ensure the dosage is correct and any side effects are closely monitored, patients receiving clozapine would previously have had to stay at a hospital, visit a specialist day centre on a daily basis, or have NHS staff frequently visiting them at home for up to four weeks.
With the virtual ward, patients do not have to attend hospital and instead receive clozapine in their own home. They are then monitored using the virtual systems NWAFT has for physical health patients, together with regular check-ins from mental health staff at CPFT.
Dr Rajeev Krishnadas, consultant psychiatrist with CPFT and assistant professor in psychosis studies at the University of Cambridge, said: “To have been shortlisted for this award is fantastic news for the team, and our continued thanks go to Dr Deyo Okubadejo, clinical director for virtual wards at NWAFT, and his colleagues for all their help and support.
“Most crucially, this is about improving services for patients and enabling more of them to access the care, help and support they need.”
Nominated in the Early Career Academic Researcher Of The Year category, Dr Emanuele Osimo co-leads the new Cambridge Centre for Precision Psychiatry and Data Science (CPPDS) with Professor Graham Murray, which launched this year to translate the latest findings from mental health research into clinical practice to benefit people using CPFT's mental health services.
Dr Osimo, a psychiatrist with CPFT's Mood Disorder Research Clinic and the CAMEO service, as well as being neuropsychiatrist at Cambridge University Hospitals and assistant research professor at the University of Cambridge, said: “I am humbled and delighted to be shortlisted for the award. Research and clinical work are both a real team effort and being shortlisted is a true testament to the work all of us do at CPFT and the University of Cambridge to improve patient care."
Colleagues at CAMEO – which provides early intervention in the community for adults with psychosis - have made it through to the final three in the Psychiatric Team Of The Year: Working-Age Adults category. The RCPsych Awards 2025 will be held in London on Thursday, 6 November.
Prof Murray, consultant psychiatrist with the team and clinical professor at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry, said: “The team’s success reflects a collaborative approach - integrating lived experience alongside clinical expertise to drive continuous quality improvement.”
The team has introduced a number of key initiatives including recruiting a GP and nurse with experience of primary care to help patients manage their physical health alongside their mental health issues; the formation of family and carer meetings, and the setting up of social groups involving walking, football, crafting and board games to support patients with their wellbeing.
CPFT provides community physical health services for older people and adults with long-term conditions, mental health services, children’s community services in Peterborough 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
