14.06.17
Confed17 open its doors in Liverpool today
Confed 17, the major annual NHS Confederation conference, has kicked off today in ACC Liverpool, inviting in more than 1,000 health and care leaders to discuss and review the long-term demand patterns needed in the sector.
Highlights of the two-day conference will be a keynote address from NHS England’s chief executive Simon Stevens, as well as health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s first major public appearance since he was reappointed to the cabinet at the beginning of the week.
NHE will be covering both days of the event on Twitter and on our website and upcoming magazine.
If you’re attending, you can find us at the event at stand A39 for a chat and complimentary coffee.
At his opening speech for the event, Stephen Dorrell, chair of NHS Confederation, said that speakers will talk about “challenges and targets and budgets and deficits” before he saluted those who devote their lives to providing care and support for patients – including staff in London hospitals caring for the victims of today’s massive tower block fire incident.
His keynote was followed by a panel discussion about the implication of the general election results with The Times’ Chris Smyth, Channel 4’s Victoria Macdonald and former Vote Leave communications director Paul Stephens.
In a separate panel, Nadra Ahmed from the National Care Association, joined by NHS Employers CEO Danny Mortimer, discussed the challenges facing the NHS worforce after Brexit, as she said: “You can throw all the money at the NHS as you like; if we haven’t got the workforce we can’t deliver quality care.”
You can also read NHE’s interview with NHS Confed CEO Niall Dickson from our latest edition, during which he revealed what delegates can expect to hear at today’s conference – amongst a number of other key issues facing health and social care.
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an NHE columnist? If so, click here.