The NHS Parliamentary Awards were created in 2018 to celebrate and recognise the outstanding contribution of staff, volunteers and others working in the health and care sector. In the first stage of the awards, MPs nominate healthcare teams and individuals in their local area to highlight their exceptional commitment and achievements working in and with the NHS.

318 MPs across England put forward 918 nominations – a far greater number than in any previous year. The Walton Centre thanks Dan Carden MP for nominating the Trust to recognise their work in training the next generation of surgeons.

The Walton Centre won in the Excellence in Education and Training for its work with the Neuro VR machine.

Virtual reality has led to new and exciting discoveries across many areas of life, including medicine. The Walton Centre is leading the way in the use of VR in neurosurgery with the Neuro VR simulator – the UK’s only such piece of equipment, and one of only 30 in the world.

The Neuro VR, generously funded by The Walton Centre Charity, enables experienced surgeons to develop the latest techniques, taking their skills even further, and allow trainee surgeons to practice safely, yet in a realistic environment. 

It is the most advanced neurosurgical simulator training in the world, using high-fidelity images, haptic feedback and both 3d and 2d applications.

“The installation of the simulator at the UK’s only specialist Trust for neuroscience has allowed The Walton Centre to become a national hub for simulation-based training in neurosurgery, benefitting patients across the country and changing the future of neurosurgery. 

Since its installation, thanks to funding from The Walton Centre Charity, the Neuro VR has been a vital part of training for both medical students, neurosurgical registrars at The Walton Centre and national trainees.

Through our experience and outreach, we want to lead the way and motivate other centres to follow up and invest in the same kind of training and research, improving the consistency of neurosurgical training and patient benefit, providing a better understanding of neurosurgery and even better patient outcomes.” Mr Nick Carleton-Bland, Consultant Neurosurgeon and lead in medical education 

A panel of national judges – made up of notable figures across the healthcare sector – will now come together to select the winners of this year’s awards. These winners will be announced at the awards ceremony taking place on Monday 14 October 2024 – when healthcare leaders, finalists and MPs will come together to celebrate the immense contribution which healthcare staff make to the NHS.