We're dropping into your inbox a little early this month because we just couldn't wait to let you know about our carefully curated programme of webinars and conversations we have just launched!
They are designed to help you think, plan, and improve with intention. Starting in March and working all way through until May, we’ll be exploring practical approaches to securing resources for experience improvement; hearing from teams who’ve translated insight into action; and gathering senior voices on empowering the workforce to deliver exceptional patient experience.
Each free session is designed to be truly relevant and have real-world value for you and your colleagues; whether you’re looking for confidence to take your next step, or inspiration from work that’s already making a difference in practice.
As ever, our aim remains the same; to share ideas that feel useful in the moment and are sustainable over time, encouraging you to #StealWithPride
Please do register for your free places now and save the date in your diary. We look forward to seeing you online soon.
All the best, The PEN Team
PICKER EXPERIENCE NETWORK AWARDS
We're delighted to announce our timeline and key dates for the Picker Experience Network Awards 2026.
Wednesday 18th March – All submissions open
Sunday 28th June – Submissions close
Wednesday 29th July – Shortlisted finalists announced
Thursday 1st Oct – Live event in Birmingham
FREE WEBINAR SERIES
UNLOCKING FUNDING FOR PATIENT EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENT
TUESDAY 17TH MARCH 12:30 - 14:00
VIRTUAL, ONLINE
Too many promising patient experience projects never get off the ground or get the recognition they deserve, not because of a lack of ideas, but because teams cannot secure the funds to deliver them or to enter their work into the Picker Experience Network Awards. At the same time, some organisations consistently find creative, repeatable ways to secure grants, mobilise charitable funds, and build partnerships that pay for impactful work.
This webinar is designed to bridge that gap. By connecting you with colleagues who have successfully sourced funding or written strong bids with teams looking to take their projects forward, this session aims to give you the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools to progress work and projects you believe in, and to then showcase it through the awards if you choose.
By the end of the session, participants will:
- Understand some viable funding routes available, with real examples of how others have accessed them.
- Recognise the characteristics of a strong bid and the avoidable pitfalls that weaken applications.
- Gain practical hints, tips, and advice they can adapt immediately for their own context.
- Make connections with individuals who have successfully sourced funding and who may be open to informal peer support.
- Leave with greater clarity, confidence, and direction for taking forward projects that could contribute to improved patient experience and potential award submissions.
BEST PRACTICE FROM THE PICKER EXPERIENCE NETWORK AWARDS
THURSDAY 26TH MARCH 12:00 - 13:30
VIRTUAL, ONLINE
Each year exceptional patient experience work emerges from the Picker Experience Network Awards, projects that have delivered meaningful improvements, shifted culture, strengthened partnerships, and demonstrated tangible outcomes for patients and staff. Yet many organisations never get the chance to learn from these exemplars in depth.
This webinar is designed to close that gap. By bringing together the overall winner and a selection of category winners, we aim to showcase what “great” looks like: the thinking, the methods, the leadership behaviours, and the practical steps that elevated these projects above the rest. The session will give you insight into the approaches that deliver real-world impact, and inspire you to adapt and apply these ideas in your own settings.
By the end of the session, participants will:
- Gain a clear understanding of what distinguishes award-winning patient experience work.
- Hear directly from teams who have implemented high-impact interventions and sustained them.
- Identify transferable practices, tools, and templates that can be applied immediately.
- Understand the journey from concept to delivery: hurdles, enablers, and lessons learned.
- Strengthen their capability to design and deliver improvement that is meaningful and award-ready.
CHIEF NURSING OFFICERS; EMPOWERING THE WORKFORCE TO DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL PATIENT EXPERIENCE
WEDNESDAY 22ND APRIL 12:00 - 13:30
VIRTUAL, ONLINE
The inaugural CNO Round Table, built around the four DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award shortlist, will focus on a key leadership question: How do Chief Nurses empower, enable and equip their workforce to deliver exceptional patient experience - culturally, emotionally and practically?
The session explores the cultural, behavioural and structural conditions that allow staff to feel confident, skilled, supported and proud to deliver person-centred care.
By the end of the session, attendees will:
- Understand leadership practices that empower staff to deliver exceptional experience.
- Gain insight into cultural and behavioural enablers of person-centred care.
- Learn about replicable approaches such as shared governance.
- Access high-value PX Week resources and leadership reflections.
INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICE FROM THE PICKER EXPERIENCE NETWORK AWARDS
WEDNESDAY 6TH MAY 12:00 - 13:30
VIRTUAL, ONLINE
Each year, the Picker Experience Network Awards spotlight patient experience initiatives that have not only improved care, but reshaped cultures, strengthened partnerships, and delivered measurable results for patients and staff.
Rather than focusing solely on what makes an award winner stand out, this session will explore what we can learn from one another across borders. By bringing together the overall winner and shortlisted finalists, we will look beyond geography to uncover the shared barriers, common ambitions, and familiar constraints that shape patient experience work in every system.
Different countries. Different structures. Strikingly similar challenges.
By the end of the session, participants will:
Recognise the common challenges and enablers that shape patient experience improvement across different national and organisational contexts.
Hear directly from teams who have implemented high impact interventions in diverse health systems.
Identify transferable practices, tools, and approaches that can be adapted across countries and cultures.
Understand how collaboration and shared learning can accelerate progress beyond local boundaries.
This is an opportunity not only to see what “great” looks like, but to discover how much we share and how much stronger our work becomes when learning flows across borders.
HOW TO PREPARE A SUCCESSFUL ENTRY FOR THE PICKER EXPERIENCE NETWORK AWARDS 2026
WEDNESDAY 13TH MAY 12:00 - 13:30
VIRTUAL, ONLINE
The Picker Experience Network (PEN) Awards recognise best practice in patient experience across all areas of health and social care in the UK. The aim of the awards is to improve patient and staff experience by sharing and celebrating best practice. With 20 categories this year, there is an opportunity for a diverse range of teams to showcase their work.
In this webinar, we discuss what makes a successful entry. Our panellists, consisting of judges and previous winners, share how to use the judging criteria to create an impressive case study from your work and top tips on how to ensure you effectively demonstrate the impact of your work on patient and staff experience.
Patient Experience Week is an opportunity to celebrate the people who have positive impact on the patient experience.
In 2026, Patient Experience Week is Mon 27th April – Friday 1st May.
We have released a refreshed suite of free Patient Experience Week resources, including recognition certificates, posters, social media graphics and practical Learning and Development toolkits, designed to recognise and support teams delivering great patient experience every day.
Patient Experience Week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate progress, be inspired by best practice, gain practical tools, and connect with a national and international community, all grounded in evidence and insight.
