2026 Agenda Overview

Successful digital transformation depends on the people, processes, and the business strategies behind it. In a changing workforce landscape both nationally and locally, explore the skills and experience needed to deliver change and digital excellence.

In a time of restructuring, defining what leadership means at every level of the system. New roles and responsibilities will emerge and this theme highlights the leadership approach and workforce development required to drive meaningful change.

Empowering the health and care workforce with automation and digital productivity tools to enhance service delivery, streamline workflows and improve staff experience. Looking not just at efficiency gains on paper, but how these key technologies are fundamentally changing the working experience.

Discover how clinical and non-clinical AI and next-gen technologies are revolutionising healthcare, improving patient outcomes, and increasing system efficiency. Translating the big bet on AI to real-world innovation in practice. Covered across the show, also with a dedicated AI Spotlight showcasing best-practice case-study.

As digital and AI solutions reshape healthcare, clinical, operational safety and risk management remains paramount. The changing landscape of regulation must both protect patients and keep pace with the ever changing development of emerging technologies and use-cases.

A data-driven health and care ecosystem is key to delivering joined-up, person-centred care. As neighbourhoods and place-based care develop, this theme examines the importance of interoperability, system integration, shared care records, and cross-sector collaboration to improve patient outcomes.

Leveraging data analytics, AI, and digital tools to address health disparities and enhance population health. This theme will explore risk stratification, remote monitoring, and social determinants of health.

As care looks to move from reactive to proactive and sickness to prevention, explore how data-driven and joined up care at a local level can reduce pressure on the system. By treating our patients with early intervention and equipping them with appropriate digital tools and knowledge to manage their conditions and wellness.

The introduction of neighbourhoods and the framework to deliver more place based care sets the ambition for care closer to home and in the community. Practically, what will it take to align systems and capabilities from across organisations working collaboratively together for the benefit of patients.

With every NHS trust now having an EPR in place, systems need to collaborate to enable efficient and effective patient flow, as we move towards neighbourhood and integrated working models, diverting some hospital and acute activity into the community to improve access and create a sustainable urgent & emergency care system.

A deep dive into how digital transformation enhances patient experience, with a focus on prevention, personalisation, and accessibility. How engagement with patients and the public can inform the way digital services are designed and delivered for maximum benefit.

Virtual care continues to support patients at home through remote monitoring technologies and virtual wards to enhance patient outcomes and experience, whilst reducing hospital admissions. With the ambition for the NHS Online Hospital how do we learn from experiences with virtual care to inform how we design this model for success.

Examining the changing role of Primary Care as models move to neighbourhood integrated working and place based care. How are technologies such as AVT, AI receptionists and other solutions changing the way general practice delivers. The role of primary care providers and their role in prevention and wellness.

Exploring how digital integration between health and social care enhances care coordination, patient outcomes, and workforce efficiency. How will social care be integrated within community and neighbourhood delivery?

Sessions will showcase emerging technologies and digital mental health tools are improving access and early intervention, supporting the national policy shift from crisis intervention to preventative care.

How can digital health interventions, education and the inclusion of diverse groups representing women’s health support with improved outcomes for women. With the new Women’s Health Strategy acknowledging systemic failures, how can dedicated focus improve maternity and women’s health conditions and overall wellness.

Optimising health and care IT, interoperability, and digital infrastructure to enhance scalability, efficiency, and system resilience. Meaningfully modernising the baseline infrastructure at national platform level all the way to local place-based to enable a future of technology-enabled care without legacy IT overshadowing progress.

Data is the centre of digital health and care delivery. With big ambitions for data for research, national platforms and improved data quality and access overall, how do we achieve this meaningfully?

With the growing reliance on digital health, cyber security is critical. Sessions will focus on data protection, risk management, and safeguarding patient information.

As the role of strategic commissioners at ICB level comes to fruition and national funding looks to move to longer funding cycles, where does procurement efficiency enable better digital outcomes and innovation. The release of NHS Modernisation Bill and what this means for the frontline and local leaders regarding investment and autonomy.

Delivering the 10 Year Plan and its ambitious aims, how do we translate policy and strategy after repeated incomplete attempts at national-scale digital transformation to a more realistic pathway to close the gap between policy ambition and frontline implementation.

Explore how the life sciences sector can support delivery of the NHS 10 Year Plan through earlier intervention, improved diagnostics and more preventative models of care. Connecting the rich data of the health and care sector to the cutting edge research of the life sciences and academia across the UK to move forward innovative treatments and improve patient outcomes.