Submissions for 2025 are now open with a deadline of noon on Monday 7 April. Winners will be notified in May 2025 and the Award will be presented at our BDA Awards Ceremony in Birmingham on 4 June. If the winning entry has multiple authors the BDA will only be able to support attendance for one person.
The Trustees of the BDA General Education Trust recognise the contribution of the Honorary Presidents of the BDA and in particular Dame Barbara Clayton. Dame Barbara made a significant contribution during her extensive term of office and was a major force within medicine, paediatric care and in promoting and supporting dietetics.
- The award is open to all individuals, teams or departments with staff who are BDA members where dietetic services or practice can demonstrate innovation and new ways of working within dietetic services.
- The project/work may be undertaken on a multi-disciplinary basis and must be recent or current.
- The work must be BDA member-led, primarily a dietetic innovation in concept and delivery and be able to demonstrate benefit /positive outcomes for the profession and patients/clients.
- Some examples which fit these criteria:
- a new service that has benefited patients.
- excellence in innovation or new ways of working, e.g. introduction of the use of new technology.
- ways of working which have highlighted cross-professional approaches to dietetic service delivery, e.g. different approaches to delivering care.
- excellence in service delivery.
- patient engagement and empowerment.
These examples are illustrative rather than prescriptive as new ways of working, Professional excellence and innovation are wide-ranging and varied.
- Submit a statement describing the innovative practice in a maximum of 1000 words. You may submit some supporting materials if you wish as additional evidence – for example, literature, testimonials, tools, etc.
Include in your summary:
- outline of the work undertaken.
- rational for development and implementation.
- staff involved.
- benefits and outcomes including impact on public health nutrition/patient/client care/cost effectiveness.
- sustainability and how it could be applied elsewhere.
Note: The entry should be submitted on the entry template you can find here
The award is £2,000 and is open to BDA members in any category.
How to enter
- The entry must be submitted by those undertaking the project.
- Entries should be emailed to [email protected], with the title 'Dame Barbara Clayton Award'
- Please clearly indicate which award you are entering, as well as your name, BDA membership number, address for correspondence, phone number, email address, current position, place of work and the name of your manager.
- The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Receiving the Dame Barbara Clayton Award 2024 in acknowledgement of my innovations to advancing policy and practice development in sickle cell nutrition, was a significant personal and professional achievement!
This award has catapulted the further advancement of sickle cell nutrition, leading to critical opportunities to highlight the important role of the dietetic management of haemoglobinopathy patient care in sickle cell disease and other haemoglobinopathies.
The award has supported my mission as founder of Sickle Cell Nutrition Academy - in bridging the knowledge and care gaps in sickle cell nutrition thus improving the access and outcomes of sickle cell patients to nutrition and hopefully service provision. More work is needed, but I am grateful for what has already been achieved and how the award has facilitated this progress!
Therefore, if you are providing innovative care or service provision - why not apply for the award and showcase how your work is contributing to new ways of working in the profession thus enhancing dietetic practice and improving patient and service outcomes?
Dr Claudine Matthews, Consultant Dietitian (Health and Social Care), Winner of the Dame Barbara Clayton Award 2024