Cygnet celebrates success at Picker Experience Network Awards
Cygnet Group is celebrating after winning the Independent Excellence in Experience of Care category at the 2026 Picker Experience Network Awards, while Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke’s Farm Project was named runner-up in the Environment of Care category.
The awards recognise organisations and teams that are making a meaningful difference to the experiences of people receiving health and social care, with a particular focus on listening to feedback and using it to improve services.
Cygnet’s winning entry in the Independent Excellence in Experience of Care category recognised its £132 million Building for Better Healthcare programme, which delivered seven new specialist mental health hospitals and refurbished 181 existing beds.
Co-production was central to the programme, with patients, carers, Experts by Experience, staff and clinicians helping shape environments designed to promote dignity, independence and recovery.
Cygnet’s network of 52 Experts by Experience made more than 1,000 visits to services in a single year, helping influence everything from bedroom design and communal spaces to gardens, sensory environments and opportunities for meaningful activity.
The programme also included the development of Social Hubs, transforming underused or clinical spaces into welcoming environments that encourage social connection, relaxation and engagement in activities.
Patient feedback reflects the importance of this approach. Cygnet’s discharge surveys recorded an average score of 4.5 out of five for staff being caring and supportive, and 4.4 out of five for both helping people progress towards discharge and helping them feel better.
Professor Tony Romero, group CEO at Cygnet, said: “Winning this award is a fantastic achievement and recognises the commitment of colleagues across Cygnet to continually improving the experience of the people we support.
“Listening to patients, families and people with lived experience is fundamental to how we develop our services. Whether we are investing in new hospital environments, creating opportunities for meaningful activity or learning from feedback, our focus remains on making a positive and lasting difference to people’s lives.
“I am incredibly proud of our teams and the work they do every day to ensure that people feel listened to, respected and supported throughout their care.”
The judges praised Cygnet in their feedback, noting “The Building for Better healthcare programme demonstrates strong leadership, excellent stakeholder engagement and convincing evidence of positive impact across patient experience, clinical outcomes, staff wellbeing and organisational performance.”
Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke’s Farm Project was named runner-up in the Environment of Care category, recognising the transformation of an overgrown, disused farm into a thriving therapeutic space supporting recovery, wellbeing and practical skills development.
The farm had stood unused for almost eight years before the hospital’s Occupational Therapy team worked with patients, staff, local horticultural experts and Cygnet’s Experts by Experience to bring it back to life.
Patients helped clear the land, restore pathways, prepare growing areas and plant crops, with the project shaped by their ideas and feedback from the outset.
The farm now provides opportunities for horticulture, greenhouse management, harvesting and cooking with home-grown produce. These activities support confidence, independence, social interaction and a sense of purpose, while giving patients opportunities to develop practical skills that can support them beyond hospital.
The project is also strengthening links with the local community, including through developing partnerships with Weston College and exploring opportunities for volunteering and produce donations to local food banks.
Joshua Tapp, hospital manager at Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke, said: “We are incredibly proud that the Farm Project has been recognised at a national level. What makes the farm so special is that our patients have helped shape it from the very beginning, creating a space that reflects what matters to them and supports their individual recovery journeys.
“Seeing people develop new skills, grow in confidence and take pride in what they have achieved has been hugely rewarding. Being named runner-up is a wonderful recognition of the dedication of everyone involved and the difference this project is making.”
The Complaints and Compliments Team was also shortlisted in the Teams Making a Difference to Experience.
The team works with services to ensure concerns are managed sensitively and consistently, while identifying themes and sharing learning to help prevent issues from recurring.
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