Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation looks ahead to June this year when the NHS Confederation's three day annual conference and exhibition will cater for over 2,000 delegates and 1,000 exhibiting staff.
The NHS in 2006 faces unprecedented change, significant uncertainty and huge opportunities. The new reforms represent a real opportunity to improve patient care. However, the change agenda is so large there is a danger of losing sight of the end goal.
As part of its work to connect health leaders, engage the service and influence debate, the NHS Confederation's annual conference and exhibition provides a rare opportunity for key thinkers and key players across the health world to come together and look forward to the year ahead.
This year's annual conference programme has been a long time in the making. We have listened to our members who work in the NHS and it is clear that the service will need to redesign the way that care is delivered in order to improve productivity and deal with the expected Comprehensive Spending Review settlement.
It is also a fact that public expectations are rising all of the time - the service needs to show patients how it is improving services and delivering better care, and it is our job to support our members through this change process.
This is why the NHS Confederation's annual conference and exhibition programme has been built around the theme of 'Achieving value for patients and the public'.
The Confederation strives hard to deliver a first rate event for its delegates through a robust programme of plenary and strand sessions as well as master classes and of course the exhibition.
This year the plenary sessions will be delivered by some of health's heavyweights; Patricia Hewitt and Sir Ian Carruthers as well as other leading professionals such as historian Dr David Starkey who will be talking about leadership.
The strand sessions, which are effectively mini conferences running within the main event, will allow delegates to interact with the speakers. They will address key challenges such as 'Delivering high quality healthcare', 'Working in the new world' and 'Maximising efficiency and productivity'. They will also be very forward looking, tackling issues like 'Innovating for the future' and creating a 'High quality and motivated workforce'.
We will also be running a number of master classes on some of the hot issues facing the NHS this year, including meeting the 18-week target, commissioning NHS dentistry and foundation trust status for NHS mental health and ambulance trusts.
Running alongside the conference's programme is the NHS Confederation's annual exhibition. This forms an extension of the conference programme, reflecting the general themes of both the plenary and strand sessions.
The aim of the exhibition is to reflect the modern NHS and it therefore features representatives from a cross-section of organisations including regulators, IT providers, the Department of Health, independent and voluntary healthcare providers, royal colleges and many more.
The NHS Confederation's annual conference and exhibition provides a rare opportunity for people within the health world, especially those working within the service, to come together and consider the longer term with colleagues and friends.
In a time of change and uncertainty it is crucial that some time is given to step back, take stock and look at the bigger picture - something that unfortunately does not happen enough.
Our NHS is changing - make sure you're a part of its future...
Come and joint the debate at the NHS Confederation's annual conference and exhibition 2006.
For more information
- The NHS Confederation annual conference and exhibition 2006 takes place 14 - 16 June at the ICC in Birmingham.
Medendium - April 2006
