WelshConfed25: Welsh NHS Confederation Annual Conference and Exhibition

Our conference and exhibition unites health and care leaders and their teams at one of the biggest health and care conferences in Wales.

You’ll have the opportunity to network with leaders and managers with the ability to lead and drive change in health and social care, attend Plenary talks and interactive workshops.

By attending WelshConfed25 you will:

• hear from thought-inspiring leaders from across the health and care sector and beyond
• have access to engaging sessions on key issues and important developments in health and care, sharing learning and best practice
• network with your peers and make new contacts
• leave inspired with ideas you can adopt and adapt within your organisation.
   

Last year we brought together:

• 400+ delegates
• 50+ exhibitors
• 50+ speakers

Don't miss out - secure your place now!

Taking place at the Hilton Hotel, Cardiff, on the evening of Wednesday 5 November, our conference reception and dinner is open to all. We can’t wait to welcome guests to make connections and get inspired! 

Dinner bookings are included on the main registration link.

For further enquiries regarding the reception and dinner, please email Sandra.cummings@welshconfed.org.

Reception sponsor: 

Dinner sponsor:

There are only a few remaining exhibition stands this year. 

For more information on sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, email Sandra.cummings@welshconfed.org.

• The state of the nation’s mental health (Mind Cymru)
• How will recent investment in commercial research delivery improve patient outcomes? (Health and Care Research Wales)
• Driving long term sustainable value through cost optimisation in NHS Wales (PwC)

The state of the nation’s mental health

This session is supported by Mind Cymru.

The Welsh Government’s new mental health strategy is a moment of opportunity, with the potential to make substantial improvements to people’s mental health in Wales through making it easier to get the right support, at the right time.

In this session you’ll get insight into the current state of mental health in Wales from Mind Cymru’s Big Mental Health Report, 2025. A summary of the latest mental health data as well as feedback from 1,500 people will provide you with a view of what’s happening in Wales with mental health, and what the delivery priorities need to be. 

Speakers: 

• Sue O’Leary, Director, Mind Cymru
• Simon Jones, Head of Policy and Campaigns, Mind Cymru

How will recent investment in commercial research delivery improve patient outcomes?

This session is supported by Health and Care Research Wales.

Join Health and Care Research Wales for a breakfast panel discussion highlighting the impact of recent UK Government and private sector investment in commercial research delivery. Discover how this funding aligns with NHS Wales priorities, improves patient outcomes and boosts system efficiency. 

Expert speakers will outline strategic plans to foster research excellence, spotlight opportunities for industry and cross-specialty collaboration and demonstrate how research drives the Duty of Quality and supports long-term sustainability across NHS Wales. 

Speakers:

• Dr Sian Morgan, Head of Laboratory at NHS Wales, All Wales Medical Genomics Service
• Dr Jamie Duckers, Speciality Lead for Respiratory, Health and Care Research Wales
• Joe Castle, Head of External Affairs and Operations (Wales), ABPI
• Dr David Foxwell, National Co-lead, Primary Care and Community Research Delivery Centre, Health and Care Research Wales

Driving long term sustainable value through cost optimisation in NHS Wales

This session is supported by PwC.

Join senior leaders across Government and Health to explore how cost optimisation is reshaping NHS Wales. This session highlights practical strategies to reduce inefficiencies, reinvest savings into frontline care, and build financial resilience. Discover how smarter resource use, data-driven decisions, and integrated planning can unlock long-term value - making this a must attend for those leading the future of sustainable healthcare in Wales.

Speakers:

• David Morris, Senior Healthcare Partner Lead, PwC

• Conference anchor: Rob Osborne, ITV national correspondent, presenter, writer

• Jonathan Morgan, Chair, Welsh NHS Confederation

• Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Welsh Government

This session is sponsored by our event partner, ABPI.

Speaker:

• Joe Castle, Head of External Affairs and Operations (Wales), The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry ABPI)

This session will introduce new joint guidance from the Welsh NHS Confederation and the ABPI, designed to support transformative collaboration between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry. 

With Wales’ integrated health and care system offering unique opportunities, the guidance provides practical tools to help organisations overcome common barriers and deliver measurable improvements in patient outcomes. It aims to align partnership projects with strategic goals, foster a culture of collaboration and scale successful initiatives across care settings.

• Collaborative/Partnership working – are you making the most of it? (Novartis)
• Tackling cancer: Innovation, insight and action for Wales (Life Sciences Hub Wales)
• Carer Aware: Transforming carer recognition, respect and support across health and social care settings in Wales (Carers Wales & Carers Trust)
• Breaking barriers: Digital inclusion and innovation for all care settings (Dedalus)
• Wisdoms from the system: what we're learning as we're listening (Platfform)
• Digital Health and Care Wales session - information TBC

Collaborative/Partnership working – are you making the most of it?

This session is supported by our event partner, Novartis.

This panel session will showcase the ‘Cardiff and Vale Post Coronary Revascularisation Lipid Optimisation Service‘, a secondary prevention CVD Collaborative Working Project, between CAVUHB, Novartis, Amgen, Recordati and Daiichi Sankyo, aiming for better patient outcomes, improved equity and access to services. 

A panel including health board innovation expert, clinician and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry will discuss the merits of collaborative working, lessons learnt and key takeaways for those in the audience considering similar projects.

Session chair:

• Suzanne Rankin, Chief Executive, Cardiff and Vale UHB

Speakers:

• Chrissie Gallimore, Strategic Account Manager - Wales, Novartis
• Zoe Hilton, Innovation Programme Manager, Cardiff and Vale UHB
• Prof Dev Datta, Consultant in Metabolic Medicine, Cardiff and Vale UHB
• Joe Castle, Head of External Affairs and Operations (Wales), The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry ABPI)
• Katrina Lowndes, Solutions Implementation Manager - UK, Novartis
   

Tackling cancer: Innovation, insight and action for Wales

This session is supported by our event partner, Life Sciences Hub Wales.

Join us for a dynamic session exploring how Wales is harnessing the power of innovation to transform cancer care. From pioneering research and cutting-edge technologies to clinical demand signalling and collaborative NHS–industry partnerships, this session will highlight how system-wide efforts are accelerating the adoption and implementation of impactful solutions. Discover how stakeholders across the health, academic, and industry landscape are working together to meet clinical need and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer in Wales.

Speakers:

• Rhodri Griffiths, Innovation Adoption Director, Life Sciences Hub Wales
• Neil Mesher, Non-Executive Director, Life Sciences Hub Wales
• Meinir Jones, Non-Executive Director, Life Sciences Hub Wales
• Rachel Gemine, Assistant Director of Evidence, Evaluation and Effectiveness, NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee

Carer Aware: Transforming carer recognition, respect and support across health and social care settings in Wales

This session is supported by Carers Wales & Carers Trust. 

The session will highlight the launch of our new Carer Aware e-learning resource packages for health care professionals. 

The presentation will include an overview of the resource package and the modules included in both, the aims and objectives of the resource packages, the importance of being carer aware as well as an overview on how we developed the content and the number of universities that are onboarded with the programme.

Speakers: 

• Carly Gray, Programme Lead, Carers Trust
• Sioned Williams, Carer Aware Project Coordinator, Carers Trust
• Rob Simkins, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Carers Wales
• Jake Smith, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer, Carers Wales
  
   

Breaking barriers: Digital inclusion and innovation for all care settings 

This session is supported by our event partner, Dedalus.

Digital transformation is only meaningful if every patient can benefit. Join Lesley Birkin and David Hewitt from North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust (NSCHT) to explore practical ways to remove barriers, widen access, and co-design with patients. They’ll share lessons from rolling out Digital Portal and Patient Engagement Apps, highlighting what worked, what didn’t, and how to support clinicians. Leave with insights for acute, community, and mental health services across Wales, plus next steps.

Speakers:

• Lesley Birkin, Head of Digital Transformation Delivery, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust
• David Hewitt, Chief Digital Information Officer, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust
• Paul Harris, Territory General Manager NHS Wales & Private Sector UK, Dedalus

Wisdoms from the system: what we're learning as we're listening

This session is supported by Platfform.

Health and social care systems are traumatised and overwhelmed. This session will hear about Platfform’s holistic, trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches, where people’s stories and wider circumstances are central to making sense of what’s happening and advocating for change together. You’ll hear how they’re capturing stories from people in the system – including an invitation to share your experiences – to shape how we shift from hopelessness to hopefulness, and look after each other in the process.

Session chair:

• Dr Jen Daffin, Community Clinical Psychologist and Director of Relational Practice, Policy and Campaigns at Platfform

Digital Health and Care Wales session - info TBC

Repeat of above breakout sessions - see 9.45

• Leanne Spencer, International keynote speaker and bestselling author

The pace of work across NHS Wales has never been greater. In this interactive keynote, speaker and author Leanne Spencer introduces Cadence – a practical approach to sustaining performance without sacrificing wellbeing. Delegates will discover how to anticipate peak demands, prepare effectively, respect red flags, and recover quickly to maintain resilience. The outcome: healthier, more resilient leaders able to deliver high standards in challenging times.

Leanne Spencer is an award-winning speaker and a leading voice on integrating wellbeing into high performance cultures. With over 13 years in the wellbeing sector, 13 qualifications in exercise and nutrition, and more than 1,000 presentations delivered, she brings deep expertise to every stage.

Leanne has delivered a TEDx talk with over 132,000 views, authored three bestselling books, a finalist in the Business Book Awards, and was Highly Commended in the Speaker Awards 2023 and shortlisted in 2024.

Our interactive ‘open exchange’ sessions ask a key question, providing an opportunity for an open discussion, sharing ideas and gaining mutual understanding around a specific topic. We’re looking for colleagues from across a breadth of organisations and sectors to contribute their thoughts and suggestions to answer some of the more difficult questions facing health and care in Wales.

• How do we build lasting partnerships for health and prosperity?
• How do we future-proof and build a resilient health and care workforce?
• Can health and sustainability go hand in hand in the Welsh NHS?
• How can Wales foster a more equitable, health-literate society?
• How do we confront the challenges of moving care into the community?

How do we build lasting partnerships for health and prosperity?

Every year, 300,000 working-aged people across the UK leave the workforce due to ill health, undermining not only individual health and wellbeing but also our collective economic potential. 

The message is clear: governments and public sector bodies cannot drive inclusive growth without putting health at the centre of their plans, and the NHS cannot improve population health alone. Health and prosperity are deeply intertwined and partnership working across all sectors is an essential component for progress in this space. 

This session will ask delegates to discuss the NHS’s expanding role in local economies and how we can better collaborate with local government and other non-NHS partners to support health and wellbeing, drive inclusive growth and reduce health inequalities. 

Speaker:

• Michael Wood, Head of Economic Partnerships, NHS Confederation

How do we future-proof and build a resilient health and care workforce?

The NHS is Wales’ biggest employer, directly employing over 110,000 people and rising. Yet, in February 2025, NHS Wales reported over 5,000 full-time equivalent vacancies. 

The NHS in Wales is navigating a complex landscape shaped by demographic shifts and evolving workforce expectations. With an ageing population, increasing workloads and evolving expectations, this session will explore how these shifts impact everything from recruitment and retention to staff wellbeing and workload. 

We will go beyond the data to discuss the pulse of healthcare in Wales. We’ll ask how can the opportunities provided by new technology and changing demographics future-proof the health and care workforce? How can we shape and build a more resilient and sustainable health and care workforce equipped for the future? 

Speakers:

• Helen Watkins, Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development, Health Education and Improvement Wales
• Sian Richards, Executive Director of Digital, Data & Engagement, Health Education and Improvement Wales

Can health and sustainability go hand in hand in the Welsh NHS?

It’s no secret that the NHS is a significant carbon emitter, contributing around 5% of the UK’s total carbon emissions. But a 2021 Health Foundation study revealed that only 44% of the UK public believed the NHS should be responsible for reducing carbon emissions, with most respondents prioritising reducing waiting times, increasing staffing and improving mental health services. 

Across Wales, climate conscious healthcare is already taking place through several successful initiatives. But the Welsh NHS has committed to bold climate goals, aiming to cut emissions by 34% by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050, meaning organisations will need to go further and faster at a time when resources are more stretched than ever. 

Can these green ambitions co-exist with the need for a responsive, efficient health service? Or could sustainability measures inadvertently impact patient care, waiting times or operational costs? Should the Welsh NHS prioritise patient care above all else, or can we successfully integrate environmentally sustainable practices without compromising service delivery? 

This session invites the audience to discuss whether health and sustainability are competing priorities or if they can align to work towards shaping sustainable healthcare in Wales. 

Speaker:

• Aled Guy, Head of Sustainability & Net Zero Carbon Management, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership

How can Wales foster a more equitable, health-literate society?

Health literacy is more than just understanding health information: it's about empowering individuals to effectively access, interpret and act on that information to make informed decisions about their health and care. It is therefore dependent on how effectively governments, organisations and health and care systems support this process by providing clear, accessible and relevant information and tackle inequalities. 

Limited health literacy is linked to poor health, increased hospitalisations, low uptake of preventative services and reduced life expectancy. Investing in health literacy therefore pays dividends, equipping people to manage chronic conditions and engage in preventative activities. 

As other nations lead the way with national strategies, this session asks delegates to discuss how Wales can place health literacy at the heart of efforts to create a healthier, more equitable society. And given the complexity of our healthcare system, how do we remove barriers and ensure equal access to health information? 

How do we confront the challenges of moving care into the community?

People need better, more joined-up support and care in the community to live healthy lives and to make sure the health and care system is sustainable for the future. Yet despite good intentions, making this a reality under current constraints is far from easy. Solutions need to be drawn from across the health and care sector, public services and with local populations. 

This session will ask the audience to debate how the NHS and partners could be flexible in supporting a more personalised service for patients and citizens, while helping to reduce demand on other parts of the system. How do we overcome these issues to enable the radical change needed in our communities?

A shift to prevention is essential in helping people live longer, healthier lives. But preventable illness is on the rise, with a clear link between areas of deprivation and inequalities in health outcomes.

Shifting to a prevention approach in the NHS is essential to improving health outcomes and cost effectiveness. But the NHS does not have all the levers to improve health and wellbeing. Everyone has a role to play – including local government, the voluntary sector, employers, communities and individuals.

This session explores how early intervention, promoting healthy lifestyles and better cross-sector collaboration can build a more sustainable, person-centred health and care system. A cross-sector panel of leaders will share practical examples of community-led prevention and discuss how we can collectively embed prevention across all sectors.

Session chair:

• Pippa Britton, Chair, Public Health Wales NHS Trust

Panel speakers:

• Cllr Andrew Morgan OBE, WLGA Leader
• Matthew Brown, Deputy Chief Executive, WCVA
• The Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, Chair, Sports Wales

• Darren Hughes, Director, Welsh NHS Confederation