Bromley Healthcare’s Integrated Therapies team has been shortlisted for the Greener NHS Award as part of the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer’s (CAHPO) Awards 2025. The nomination recognises the team’s innovative approach to delivering more sustainable healthcare that meets people’s needs.
The CAHPO Awards celebrate Allied Health Professionals who are driving innovation, improving patient care, and supporting the NHS to meet its long-term ambitions. Within this, the Greener NHS Award highlights AHPs who are helping to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare.
Bromley Healthcare’s Integrated Therapies team, which brings together urgent therapies, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, has been recognised for its pioneering virtual model of care, which has cut carbon emissions, reduced travel, and improved access for patients.
The hybrid model combines secure online assessments with targeted in-person visits where clinically essential. Since the launch of the model in February 2025, the virtual occupational therapy service alone has saved more than 1479 miles for travel and 85 hours of travel time – equivalent to around 230kg CO₂e. Waiting times have also improved, with the average occupational therapy wait reduced from over 14 weeks to just 6 weeks, while patient satisfaction remains high.
Patients have described the new model as “a good use of time” and “practical” for those balancing work or other commitments, with many saying they felt fully listened to and supported through the process.
The model has created opportunities for more efficient workforce deployment, with therapy support staff delivering follow-up tasks and senior clinicians focusing on complex needs. It is now being expanded across services, including virtual physiotherapy clinics and future roll-out to local falls prevention and neuro rehabilitation services.
Robyn Ridgeway, Integrated Therapies service lead, said:
“I’m incredibly proud of the team for this nomination. Developing a model that improves patient care while also reducing our impact on the environment shows what’s possible when we think differently about how we deliver services. This recognition highlights the hard work of everyone involved.”
How this supports the NHS 10-year plan
Bromley Healthcare is committed to delivering services that reflect the priorities set out in the NHS 10-year plan. The Integrated Therapies model demonstrates how the plan’s three system shifts can be achieved in practice:
- From hospital to community – more care delivered at home and in neighbourhoods through virtual assessments and targeted face-to-face reviews at home or in community settings.
- From analogue to digital – Secure platforms, digital documentation and virtual clinics embedded in day-to-day practice.
- From treatment to prevention – Faster triage and earlier intervention, with planned spread to falls prevention and neuro services to reduce avoidable deterioration and admissions