Press release: The Importance of Boards - media invitation

31 Aug 2005

"The Importance of Boards" Supported by ERNST & YOUNG

An NHS Confederation One-Day Conference and Exhibition
The Lowry, Salford Quays, Manchester
Tuesday 6 September 10am - 4pm

Baroness Rennie Fritchie, the Commissioner for Public Appointments, is the keynote speaker at a conference looking at the importance of boards on Tuesday, 6 September. She will address delegates at the NHS Confederation Conference which is being held at The Lowry, Salford Quays in Manchester. 

The conference will explore how high-performing health organisations can use boards to provide strategic leadership and good governance within a framework of effective controls. Delegates will examine emerging concepts of integrated governance, the impact of regulators and the relationship between non-executive directors and executive directors.

The day will follow the timetable below:

• 10.10am-11am: Do boards really make a difference? (panel discussion)Chair - Baroness Rennie Fritchie, commissioner for public appointments (Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments)
• Sir William Wells, chair, NHS Appointments Commission
• Sally Johnson, chief executive, Enfield PCT
• Joan Saddler, chair, Waltham Forest PCT
• 11am - 12.15pm: Interactive workshops (topics below)
• 12.15pm - 1pm: Assessing performance boards: the role of the regulator
• Marcia Fry, head of operational development, Healthcare Commission
  ? Christopher Mellor, deputy chair, Monitor
• Andy McKeon, managing director of health, Audit Commission
• 2pm - 3.15pm: Repeat of interactive workshops (topics below)
• 3.30pm - 4pm: Keynote address
• Baroness Rennie Fritchie

Interactive workshop topics include:

• The Annual Health Check
• Preparing for Foundation Trust Status
• Characteristics of High Performing Boards
• Integrated Governance
• Presenting Information to Your Board

Workshop leaders include:

• The Annual Health Check - Mike Rose (Area Manager for the North West, Healthcare Commission)
• Preparing for Foundation Trust Status - Margaret Cox (Chair, Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
• Characteristics of High Performing Boards - Jay Bevington (Associate Director, Board Development Team, National Clinical Governance Support Team)
• Integrated Governance - Paul Stanton (Director, Board Development, National Clinical Governance Support Team) and Mike Deighan (Strategic Board Development Advisor, National Clinical Governance Support Team)
• How to Present Information to Your Board - Tim Kelsey (Chief Executive, Dr Foster)
  Venue: The Lowry, Salford Quays, Manchester
  Time: 10am - 4pm (coffee and registration from 9am)
  Date: Tuesday, 6 September

Journalists wishing to attend the conference should RSVP to Amy Darlington, Media Officer at the NHS Confederation, on 020 7074 3304 or amy.darlington@nhsconfed.org

ENDS

Notes for editors

The NHS Confederation represents more than 90 per cent of the organisations that make up the NHS throughout the UK. Its members include the majority of NHS trusts, foundation trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; NHS boards and special boards in Scotland; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

Contact details

Contact Media Relations Manager Matt Akid on 020 7074 3306 or Media Officer Amy Darlington on 020 7074 3004.

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