The William Cullen Prize for Excellence In Teaching and the William Cullen Prize for Service Innovation are awarded in collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh.
The Celebrating Success Event was held on Friday 30 October 2026.
The winners were announced live on the night on our social media channels (follow the #ggcawards tag).
You can find out who the winners were and also view their photos and videos below.
Congratulations to our winners!
William Cullen Prize for Innovation Winner – Stobhill Block Room Team
This year’s William Cullen Prize for Innovation goes to the Stobhill Block Room Team, led by Dr David Macpherson.
This team has transformed elective day-case upper limb surgery redesigning elective day-case upper limb surgery at Stobhill Ambulatory Care Hospital, turning a service that defaulted to general anaesthesia into one where awake regional anaesthesia is now the default standard of care. Working collaboratively across nursing, anaesthetic, administrative and pre-operative services, the team introduced a dedicated block room and streamlined patient pathways using existing resources and no additional funding to achieve this.
Dr Macpherson and his team’s work has significantly improved efficiency, reduced reliance on general anaesthesia, shortened patient recovery times and enabled more higher-risk patients to receive treatment as day cases. Patient satisfaction has reached 98%, while the redesigned pre-operative pathway has generated significant savings in under a year.
The team’s approach has been adopted elsewhere, attracting interest from other health boards, demonstrating the power of frontline innovation to improve patient care, staff experience and service sustainability.
William Cullen Prize for Education Winner – Paediatric Emergency Medicine team at the Royal Hospital for Children
This year’s William Cullen Prize for Excellence in Teaching is awarded to the Paediatric Emergency Medicine team at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow.
In a healthcare environment where emergency departments continue to face significant pressures, the team has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to education, training and staff development. Their dedication was reflected in the latest General Medical Council National Training Survey, where the department achieved an exceptionally positive result, receiving numerous “green flags” across a range of key indicators.
The survey highlighted the team’s supportive and inclusive learning environment, strong culture of teamwork, and the high-quality experience provided to trainees. Particular recognition was given to excellence in educational areas including clinical handovers, local teaching programmes and rota design, all of which contribute to a positive and effective training experience.
By fostering a culture where learning, collaboration and professional development are valued, the Paediatric Emergency Medicine team is helping to shape the next generation of healthcare professionals while continuing to deliver high-quality care for children and young people across Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
