We are delighted to announce the opening for nominations for the first Clare Lewis-Jones award for outstanding patient care, and would like to thank Clare’s family for their support for this exciting new award.
Introducing the Clare Lewis-Jones Award celebrating Outstanding Patient Care in Fertility
At Fertility 2026, we will be giving the very first Clare Lewis-Jones award to a professional nominated by their patients as someone who embodies the characteristics that meant so much to Clare.
About Clare
Clare was a pioneer in patient advocacy in fertility, and headed the charity CHILD which later merged with ISSUE to form Infertility Network. Clare was also one of the founding members and driving force of Fertility Europe, chairing the organisation for six years. She also led the patient forum, AFPO, and the National Infertility Awareness Campaign. Clare was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in recognition of her services to health in 2009.
Clare worked in the fertility support sector for 30 years before taking retirement, and is currently living on the south coast.
Clare was our inspiration in setting up The Fertility Alliance, and many of the Alliance team worked closely with Clare for many years. We wanted to set up an annual award to recognise her importance to the fertility sector, and to honour the characteristics which mattered so much to her in patient care.
About the Award
This annual award honours not only Clare’s legacy but the qualities she believed were essential in patient care. It is open to any professional working in fertility care in the UK, nominated by their patients.
What we’re looking for
This award recognises a professional who embodies the following characteristics
- Support and Advocacy – Someone who goes above and beyond to provide holistic care, and who helps their patients to access emotional and practical support
- Patient-centred care – Someone who puts the needs and concerns of their patients first and is mindful of their wellbeing, making sure they feel heard and respected. Someone who ensures the patient is at the heart of all decisions about their treatment.
- Kindness, empathy and compassion – Someone who appreciates the emotional challenges of fertility treatment, and approaches every patient with warmth and understanding, who makes patients feel valued and supported.
- Trust and Integrity – Someone who builds trust with patients through transparency, reliability, and ethical practice, ensuring patients feel safe and respected.
- Inclusivity and Cultural Sensitivity – Someone who recognises and respects the diverse backgrounds, identities, and family-building paths of patients, ensuring care is inclusive, non-judgmental, and culturally sensitive.
If you would like to nominate someone for this award, please contact us at The Fertility Alliance at thefertilityalliance@outlook.com, telling us in up to 500 words why you feel they meet the criteria for the award. Please put “Patient Excellence Award” as the subject for the email.
The judging panel is made up entirely of current and former fertility patients and they will consider all applications carefully before making their final decision.
We would also ask you to let us have details of when and where you were cared for by the person concerned, and may get back to you for further information if necessary.