17th NHS Workforce Conference: Future-Proofing NHS Care

Workforce & Care Integration

08:30 am
02 Oct, 2025
etc.venues, Prospero House, 241 Borough High St, London SE1 1GA

17th NHS Workforce Conference: Future-Proofing NHS Care

Workforce & Care Integration

08:30 am
02 Oct, 2025
etc.venues, Prospero House, 241 Borough High St, London SE1 1GA

Job titles includes

Medical Director

Associate Director of Nursing

Head Of Nursing

Lead Network Operations Manager

Business Manager and NHS England Core-20 Plus Ambassador

PCN Head of People and Culture

Director of Strategic Delivery

Workforce and People Senior Manager

Head of Workforce Transformation

CAMHS Manager

Deputy Chief Nurse

100
Delegates Registered

Organisations Involved

Tooting Med Centre Ltd trading as Sw11Medical

Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust

Lewisham and Greenwich

The Royal Marsden

Central and north West NHS Foundation Trust

Pier Health Group

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

NIHR / NHS

Croydon NHS

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Current Landscape:

The NHS workforce stands at a pivotal moment of strategic transformation. The refreshed NHS 10-Year Workforce Plan shifts focus from expanding headcount alone to building a fit-for-purpose, skills-based workforce. This includes a significant move away from international recruitment, major expansion of domestic training, and investment in new career pathways. While progress is underway, the NHS continues to face serious challenges in retention, training capacity, and adapting to new models of care in an increasingly complex healthcare environment. 

Importance and Timeliness of the Event:

This conference convenes at a crucial moment in the NHS's evolution. As the system prioritises home-grown talent, digital capabilities, and workforce flexibility, it’s essential to examine how national reforms translate into local implementation. The event provides a timely platform to explore how we recruit, retain, train, and redesign NHS roles to meet future demand, while supporting staff wellbeing and innovation.

Key Content Streams:

  • Transition from International Recruitment: As the NHS moves toward reducing overseas recruitment from 34% to under 10% by 2035, how will systems adapt to develop and retain UK-trained professionals?
  • Training & Skills Expansion: Exploring the impact of a 27% increase in training places and the doubling of medical and nursing placements on the future NHS pipeline.
  • Retention & Well-Being: Strategies to reduce attrition by up to 128,000 FTEs through flexible working, phased retirement, and culture reform.
  • Innovative Roles & Digital Integration: How emerging roles, AI, and robotics will reshape care delivery, and what skills staff will need to succeed.
  • Workforce Sustainability & Leadership: Examining new models of workforce planning and leadership to future-proof services and improve productivity. 

Why Attend:

We look forward to welcoming you to this crucial and transformative event. Come join us in forming a better future for the healthcare industry and the NHS. Healthcare leaders, policymakers, educators, and frontline staff will gain insights into the NHS's strategic direction for workforce development. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for workforce planning, retention, and innovation, aligning with the broader goals of long-term healthcare improvement.

Register now to be a part of this transformative journey and contribute to building a better future for healthcare and the NHS.

Who will Attend

  • Chairs
  • Chief Executives
  • Chief Nurses/Directors of Nursing
  • Clinical Commissioning Group Members
  • Clinical Directors/Leaders
  • Commercial Directors/Managers
  • Contracts Directors/Managers
  • Director/Heads of Workforce and HR
  • Director/Heads of Operations
  • Directors /Heads of Finance
  • Directors/Heads of Commissioning/Procurement
  • Directors/Heads of Efficiency and Productivity
  • Directors/Heads of Organisational Development
  • Directors/Heads of Patient Engagement
  • Directors/Heads of Policy
  • Directors/Heads of Service Transformation
  • Directors/Heads of Staff Engagement/Training/HR
  • Directors/Heads of Strategy and Transformation
  • Estates and Facilities Directors/Managers
  • Finance Directors
  • Head of Commissioning Support Units
  • Improvement Programme Managers/Directors
  • NHS Trust Directors and Senior Managers
  • Operations/Performance Directors
  • Pharmacy Directors and Heads of Medicines Management
  • Service Improvement Directors

Sponsors & Partners

The programme

08:30

Registration & Networking

Registration & Networking

09:30

Chair Opening Address (Confirmed)

Brandie Deignan
Chief Executive Officer
Pier Health Group

Chair Opening Address (Confirmed)

09:40

Keynote Presentation - Nirusha Govender, Associate Director for Pharmacy Workforce, Quality & Safety Regional and National Team member (Provisionally Confirmed)

Title & Synopsis TBC

10:00

Tackling NHS Workforce Retention Panel Discussion

With a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, staff retention has emerged as one of the most pressing workforce challenges. The panel discussion will bring together leaders within workforce planning, clinicians and policy makers to explore the causes of these challenges across NHS roles.

Key Discussion Points:

  • Impact of working conditions, pay, and staff morale.
  • Strategies for improving career progression, training and support.
  • Role of flexible working, well-being initiatives, and leadership culture.
  • Effectiveness of current policies and the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan’s ambitions to retain staff.

Panellists:

  • Danielle Bird, Operations Manager, The Hill (Provisionally Confirmed)
  • Jenny Lewis, Director of Human Resources and Occupational Development, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (Invited)
  • Dr Jacqui Hepburn M.Ed., CFCCIPD, Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Workforce, NHS 24 (Invited)

10:30

Main Sponsor

Main Sponsor

10:50

Morning Break & Networking

Morning Break & Networking

11:50

Chair Morning Reflection (Confirmed)

Brandie Deignan
Chief Executive Officer
Pier Health Group

Chair Morning Reflection (Confirmed)

11:55

Case Study - Plus Us

Case Study - Plus Us

12:15

Case Study - RotaMaster

Case Study - RotaMaster

12:35

Fireside Interview - The impact of healthcare reform on workforce (Confirmed)

Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson CBE
Former Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Care

Drawing on his experience as a former DHSC minister Andrew will talk candidly about his time in office and provide insight into the challenges and opportunities the current governments will face whilst perusing their healthcare reforms.

12:55

Case Study - NHS Workforce Alliance

Will Laing
Operations Director
NHS Workforce Alliance

Case Study - NHS Workforce Alliance

13:15

Lunch & Networking

Lunch & Networking

14:00

Chair Afternoon Address (Confirmed)

Brandie Deignan
Chief Executive Officer
Pier Health Group

Chair Afternoon Address (Confirmed)

14:05

Case Study

Case Study

14:25

Workshop - How can you build trust in your system? (Confirmed)

Jason Greasley
Leadership Consultant & Head of Coaching and Leadership Transformation
Buckinghamshire Health & Social Care Academy

Trust is crucial for effective teamwork and collaboration. Without it, sharing knowledge and learning from each other becomes challenging.

Trust is the foundation for any relationship both at home and work, absence of trust across teams and in systems is the most severe dysfunction a team can have. Doing more with less means we MUST work better across systems and build the foundations for the future. If we do not trust each other, will we share knowledge, will we learn from each other?

Building trust through communications involves creating systems and protocols that allow different organisations, technologies, and teams to work together seamlessly. Here are some key aspects to consider:

Consistent Information Sharing: Regular and structured communication helps maintain relationships and operational capabilities between all stakeholders.

Interagency Collaboration: Successful projects require collaboration between different agencies, considering their unique needs, capabilities, and operational practices.

How can you build trust in your system?

14:45

Case Study

Case Study

15:05

Presentation - Anna Bokobza, Director of Strategy at Essex Partnership University NHS FT (Provisionally Confirmed)

Title/Synopsis TBC

15:25

Interview Session - How to ditch the superhero and be more superhuman (Confirmed)

Dr Sarah Coope
Director of Training
Wild Monday Resilience Ltd

In healthcare, many of us have internalised the message that we need to be heroes - constantly available, endlessly capable, and always putting patients and colleagues first. But the cost of this mindset is burnout, disillusionment, and workforce attrition.

In this honest and practical interview with the chair, Dr Sarah Coope will explore and take questions from the audience about how the 'superhero' narrative drives unhealthy work habits and prevents staff from setting boundaries. Drawing on over 20 years of experience as a GP, medical educator and conflict resolution expert, she will offer a compelling alternative: a shift from heroic self-sacrifice to sustainable leadership and self-compassion.

This session will resonate with anyone trying to lead, support or retain a workforce under pressure. It’s a call to let go of perfectionism, embrace our limits, and create a healthier, more human way of working in the NHS.

15:45

Primary Care at the Core: Strengthening the Workforce for a Sustainable Future Panel Discussion

Kevin Anderson
Dr/Prof
GP Partner and Director of Workforce Haxby Group Primary Care Workforce Lead Humber North Yorkshire Integrated Care System Visiting Professor Coventry University

Primary care is the backbone of the NHS, it faces increasing pressure from rising demand, workforce shortages, and changing patient expectations. The panel discussion will bring together GPs, policy leaders and workforce planners to discuss ways in which to strengthen and sustain the primary care workforce.

Key Discussion Points:

  • The current state of the primary care workforce.
  • GP recruitment and retention.
  • The role of multidisciplinary teams, which include pharmacists, paramedics, and physician associates.
  • Innovative models of care and digital tools.
  • Training expansion to shift towards community-based and apprenticeship routes.
  • Workload management, strategies, and work-life balance.

Panellists:

  • Kevin Anderson, GP & Director of Workforce, Haxby Group, Primary Care Workforce Lead, HNY Health & Care Partnership (Confirmed)
  • Paul Renshaw, Executive Director of Workforce, NHS Devon, Primary and Social Care (Invited)
  • Kristin Francis, Director of Primary Care, Care Unbound (Invited)

16:05

Hot Buffet Food & Drinks

Hot Buffet Food & Drinks

17:00

End of Day

End of Day

Convenzisvents

Your Pass Includes....

  • Access to a leading conference speaker programme
  • Interactive Q&A sessions
  • Fireside interviews
  • Cross-sector best practice
  • Meet the supplier opportunities
  • Hot breakfast & Lunch included
  • Access to post event drinks reception and Street food

Tickets For NHS Senior Managers

We have an invite only option for NHS Senior Managers for our conference, to see if you qualify for a complimentary place please click the button below.

Register your place

Book tickets

Ticket
Price
Quantity
Charity, Not for Profit and University (In-Person)
£203.99 excl VAT
Limited places
0
Private Sector (In-Person)
£500.00 excl VAT
Limited places
0
Free NHS Ticket
£0.00 No VAT
Limited places
0

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