Care Closer to Home: Primary and Community Care Conference 2025

The shift from hospital to primary and community-based care requires action at every level.  Rebalancing the NHS will both improve outcomes for patients and curb the growing burden of ill-health on the economy. With the 10-year health plan due for publication in May, there is renewed national and local commitment to move from government rhetoric to policy reality.  

Up and down the country, leaders across primary care and community services are already demonstrating how this shift can take place and address the multiple challenges facing the NHS. Our conference is an exciting opportunity to bring together health and care professionals alongside national and local experts and inspirational speakers to look to the future of care closer to home.

Programme and speakers

The day will run from 8am to 4:45pm. 

Registration is from 8am to 10am with the conference officially opening at 10am, but everyone is welcome to join for the breakfast session running from 8:45am to 9:45am.

Please note that details of speakers are provisional and may change in the event of circumstances outside of our control. In the event that a speaker is no longer available to attend we will ensure alternative arrangements are made. 

8:45–9:45am - Breakfast session - Tackling the elephant in the room: resetting the platform for primary care in NENC

Sponsor: NHS Property Services

Discover how NHS Property Services collaborated with the ICB and local GPs to tackle financial instability, lease complexities, and complex relationships. Learn more about the strategic drivers behind the initiative, the solutions and compromises agreed, and the impact that this work has delivered in NENC. Join us for a compelling discussion between a landlord, ICB and GP that promises to inspire and inform your approach to primary care estate challenges. Croissants are available as refreshments.

Speakers: 

• Chair - Karina Dare, Primary Care Estates Strategy Lead, NHS Property Services Ltd
• Ben Gammer, Estate Strategy Lead - North, NHS Property Services Ltd
• Jamie Mitchell, Deputy Director Estates and Facilities Community and Primary Care, Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management Limited
• Dr Nigel Twelves, General Practitioner and Medical Director, Northumbria Primary Care

10:00–10:15am - Opening

Siobhan Melia, chief executive, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; Chair, Community Network; and NHS England's National Adviser for Community Services

10:15–11:15am - Plenary 1 - From rhetoric to reality: bold solutions to deliver the ambition of care closer to home 

A panel discussion on how to move from rhetoric to reality and move care closer to home. The session will be an opportunity to examine the emerging key themes coming out of the 10 Year Health Plan and allow leaders from a range of sectors to discuss their ambitions for the plan, what is currently working well/ current challenges and examples of best practice.  

Speakers: 

• Chair - Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation
• Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive, London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
• Richard Kirby, Chief Executive, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Adviser on Neighbourhood Health, NHS England; Vice Chair, Community Network 
• Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, NHS England
• Dr Duncan Gooch, Incoming Chair, NHS Confederation's Primary Care Network 

11:15-12pm - In Conversation with...

NHS Confederation chair Lord Adebowale hosts a discussion with Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.

12:00-12:20pm - Coffee break, exhibition and networking

12:20-1:20pm - Breakout sessions 

Breakout 1 - Using technology to enhance care in the community: How new systems improve demand management and unite data across health and social care

Join us for a fireside chat with WM5G, where we’ll explore how cutting-edge fully integrated digital systems are transforming health and care. Discover how these innovations bridge the gap between hospital and home, improving demand management, patient outcomes, and care accessibility. Hear from experts on how integrated technology solutions are driving efficiency, personalisation, and sustainability in health and social care. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how collaborative models are shaping the future of community-based care in the UK.

• Chair - Dan Bunstone, GP Clinical Director, Warrington Innovation Network
• Dr Faris Al-Ramadani, Clinical Director, Warwickshire East PCN               

• Jennie Smith, Director of Health and Care, WM5G                                  

• Rob Hull, Health Operation Manager, WM5G      

• Rachael Brown, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Royal Wolverhampton Trust

• Clare Morris, Chief Executive, Rethink Partners

Breakout 2 - Follow the money: creating a data-driven finance strategy to enable sustainable ‘left shift’ of care

Sponsor: Optum

In partnership with Optum UK, join our expert panel to explore how improving financial flows and payment mechanisms can enable the 'left shift' of care close to home. We will study case studies before moving into a panel discussion, which will include the opportunity for you to ask questions.

Speakers:

• Chair - Pearse Butler, Chair, NHS South Yorkshire ICB 
• Professor Paul Corrigan CBE, Strategic Advisor, Department of Health and Social Care 
• Sarah Mansuralli, Chief Strategy and Population Health Officer, North Central London ICB
• Damian Brady - Managing Director, Sutton PCNs 
• Alexis Bradshaw, Director, Optum UK

Breakout 3 - One workforce: developing a cross sector workforce to deliver out of hospital care

As the focus on integration and left shift grow, providers are now exploring the new workforce models which can best deliver the shift from hospital to community. This session will explore the benefits and process of integrating the out of hospital workforce, with a focus on making best use of the huge skill mix across the out of hospital sectors. Join panelists from across primary and community workforce as they share their experience designing and delivering workforce transformation in collaboration with neighbourhood partners.

Speakers: 

• Chair - Professor Aruna Garcea, Chair, NHS Confederation's Primary Care Network
• Mani Dhesi, Transformation Director, SDSmyshealthcare Federation
• Dharmesh Patel,  Chief Executive, Primary Eye Care
• Lorraine Mattis, Chief Executive, University of Suffolk Dental CIC
• Karen Jackson, Chief Executive, Locala CIC

Breakout 4 - A new model for health: the role of neighbourhood and place infrastructure in shifting care closer to home

This panel discussion will explore the importance of collaboration, partnership, and leadership at both neighbourhood and place levels to shift from an industrial to a social model for health and care, supporting the Government's mission to shift care closer to home. The session will explore the importance of primary and community providers working collaboratively to create the foundational infrastructure needed. 

Speakers: 

• Dr Duncan Gooch, Incoming Chair, NHS Confederation's Primary Care Network 
• Steph Cartwright, Chief Community and Partnerships Officer, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
• Dr Ian Lawrence, Chief Clinical Information Officer and Clinical Director for Integration, Derbyshire Community Health Services Foundation Trust
• Dr Nick Merrifield, Clinical Director, New Malden and Worcester Park PCN
• Dr Sunaina Khanna, GP Partner, Solihull Healthcare Partnership and Medical Director for Integration, Birmingham and Solihull ICS 
   

1:20-2:10pm - Lunch

2:10-3:10pm - Breakout sessions (repeated from this morning)  

3:10-3:30pm - Coffee break, exhibition and networking

3:30-4:30pm - Plenary 2 - Leading across the interface: Embracing opportunities to shift care closer to home

The challenges associated with the interfaces across the health and care system are well-known and often discussed in terms of barriers to delivering seamless care. However, it’s time to shift the narrative and focus on the opportunities these interfaces present. By viewing them as enablers, we can unlock new possibilities for moving care closer to home. In this session, you will hear from leaders who are driving transformational change at the interface, sharing diverse perspectives from across the NHS. Delegates will leave motivated, inspired, and equipped to challenge their thinking and approach to care delivery.

Speakers: 

• Chair - Ruth Rankine, Director of Primary Care, NHS Confederation
• Dr Jonathan Griffiths, GP; Associate Medical Director - Primary Care, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside
• Dr Chris Pickering, National Specialty Advisor for Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
• Luvjit Kandula, Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board; Director of Strategy and Pharmacy Transformation,  Community Pharmacy Greater Manchester (LPC)
• Helen Wadley, Chief Executive, Mind Birmingham 

4:30-4:45pm - Close

Professor Aruna Garcea, Chair, NHS Confederation's Primary Care Network

Don't miss this opportunity to: 

• Discover innovative solutions to existing challenges
• Gain a deeper understanding of the national policy direction
• Connect and share best practice with like-minded colleagues
• Drive improvement within the health and care sector.

Pricing 

• Members of the NHS Confederation are entitled to a maximum of two complimentary places for their organisation. Tickets are on a first come first serve basis. Find out more about our membership offer and impact. 
• The price to attend is £120 + VAT for non-members.