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BMA MEDFASH prize

For improving the quality of HIV and/or sexual healthcare

MEDFASH was an independent charity dedicated to improving the quality of HIV and sexual healthcare that ran from 1987 to 2016.

To continue the legacy of MEDFASH, the BMA Foundation will award a prize named after MEDFASH to an initiative exemplifying MEDFASH’s mission and values, which have been embedded in the assessment criteria.  2026, the tenth anniversary of MEDFASH’s closure, will be the final year of the prize.

Applicant criteria

  • Open to any health or social care organisation actively involved in the delivery of HIV and/ or sexual healthcare in the UK.
  • Organisations may be nominated or self-nominated and should be currently working in HIV and/or sexual healthcare in the UK. Work submitted must be a project or initiative undertaken in the five years preceding the point of application.

Documents for submission

Applicants must submit the following documentation in PDF format:

  • Duly completed application form
  • A letter of support (max 1,000 words) from an individual or organisation not employed by the applicant  
  • One project output, preferably one which has been available outside the organisation, as a supporting document 

Assessment criteria

Awarded to recognise achievement in improving the quality of HIV and sexual healthcare, the MEDFASH prize promotes that charity’s vision: for everyone who needs it to be able to receive high quality, evidence-based HIV and sexual healthcare, including preventive interventions. 

Applications should demonstrate evidence of achievement towards this vision, through work in one or more of the following domains, with a methodology reflecting the MEDFASH approach of evidence-driven, multi-sector, partnership working and involvement of affected communities. 

 

Domains

  1. Setting standards

Developing or improving standards in the delivery of HIV and/or sexual healthcare (including prevention). Effecting a measurable, positive impact of standards on the quality of, and/or equity of access to, such care.

  1. Multisector and multidisciplinary working

Promoting a whole-system approach to care delivery with multi-agency and/or multi-sector collaboration. Overcoming the fragmentation of HIV and sexual health commissioning and/or delivery of care. Advancing multidisciplinary team working to optimise the care pathway for people with HIV and/or sexual health needs.

  1. Education

Improving education and practice amongst non-HIV or non-sexual health specialists on the diagnosis and management of HIV or other sexual health issues.

  1. Engagement

Ensuring that engagement of people living with or affected by HIV or other relevant sexual health concerns is integral to the planning and delivery of HIV and sexual healthcare.

  1. Leadership

Demonstrating, or acting to foster, leadership and accountability among decision-makers to prioritise HIV and/or sexual health in local or national policy and delivery. 

 

How to apply

Please send your application to researchgrants@bma.org.uk with "2026 MEDFASH Prize Application" in the subject line by 30 April 2026.