From the perfectly orchestrated layout and the crystal-clear sound of the stages to the helpful staff and the free cake and coffee, the event was just as much a sensory delight as it was a deeply educational tour of the health sector in its current state. It also gave us an invaluable opportunity to network with hundreds of likeminded individuals; all just as passionate about transforming health and social care as we are.
After taking a week to reflect on the teachings and insights from the event, we’ve put together this review to summarise what we learnt, and to give you a taste of what to expect for next year...
Mind-blowing technology and innovations
Everyone who works in healthcare knows how essential technology is to supporting care quality, improving coordination, and reducing costs, and some of the tech we witnessed at this year’s expo was clearly built to achieve these objectives.
Within the labyrinth of stands and exhibits, engineers of innovation showcased cutting-edge technologies and solutions that are widening the digital front door and making the seemingly-impossible possible.
From multinational brands like Microsoft introducing us to clinical VR and simulations, to start-ups breaking new ground with surgical robotics and smartphone-powered medical devices, it was exciting to see so many companies driving digital transformation and expanding the frontiers in healthcare.
Addressing health inequalities and their impact
This year’s event touched on an array of themes about the hindrances to innovation and the areas driving its progress. The importance of addressing health inequalities was one such theme that deeply resonated with the audience during the first talk we attended on Wednesday. The discussion was centred on how Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) can go about tackling health inequalities by leveraging leadership at all levels, having a clearer focus on governance, and developing strong relationships within the ICS and via their external partnerships.
What was most interesting about this session was the lack of confidence ICB leaders appear to have in their strategies for this area. Policy and Delivery Manager of NHS Confed, Ruth Lowe, claimed that while 86% of ICB leaders have volunteered to participate in research, 20% (1 in 5) do not feel confident about tackling health inequalities overall.
Financial pressures, misunderstanding and interpreting data incorrectly, and a short-term focus on operational goals were all listed as reasons ICBs are being detracted away from their long-term efforts to reduce health disparities. The ability to build and maintain relationships within the ICS and with local communities was also highlighted as a critical factor.
Chris Day, Director of Engagement at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said "Leaders in the wider ICS need to understand not just the impact that deprivation has, but the root cause of it."
With the CQC soon to release new guidelines for overseeing ICSs, Day says that establishing what drivers are affecting population health and assessing the input measures are key to understanding this impact, as is the need to develop local partnerships to support good practices.
Amanda Woolnough, Chief Executive of the King’s Fund, also discussed the importance of tackling health inequalities along with the impact of the cost of living on healthcare access during a talk on Thursday. She discussed the organisation's leadership and organisational insight program that collaborates with trusts to drive impactful changes.
Woolnough stressed the importance of "reimagining, rewiring, reshaping" the healthcare system to ensure its future viability and the need for more projects like the King’s Fund "Making Care Closer to Home" report, to enhance the existing infrastructure, remove financial and cultural barriers, and better support people’s healthcare needs.
Prevention and virtual models of care
Prevention also plays a key role in reducing health inequalities, but improving overall population health is a collective priority. With 80% growth expected in the over-75 population over the next 20 years, innovating new care pathways to catch the early signs and causes of ill health are now more crucial than ever.
One such preventative care pathway was co-created by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System. It is called FrEDA (Fail to End of Life Dementia Assistance Assessment), and is an electronic frailty care coordination system designed to reduce crisis episodes and improve the quality of life in frailty and dementia patients.
Thanks to FrEDA, over 14,000 end-of-life dementia patients were correctly identified within the first year, leading to substantial decreases in unplanned admissions and a 70% reduction in 30-day readmission rates in high risk areas. 4,000 of these patients were supported in a frailty virtual ward, which equated to more than 10,000 bed days saved in non-elective acute hospital care.
The long-standing positive effects of hospital bed alternatives were also covered extensively during the Virtual wards: moving from innovation to large-scale impact discussion on Thursday.
Kent Community Trust reported that their virtual wards program has led to significant reductions in hospital admissions for those over 75, with 3,345 admissions avoided since February 2022. The trust is currently using social prescribing as a solution to the long-term impact of hospital-at-home care beyond the typical three-day virtual ward period.
During the Key ingredients for successful home alternatives to ward-based care morning session, NHS leaders also discussed virtual health solutions and alternatives that can better support outcomes compared to ward-based care.
Helen Kay, Operations Director in Sheffield, stated how proactive and reactive care must be balanced. She believes there needs to be more of a push for virtual care since most of our time is spent at home. She also emphasised the need to “think outside the box” when it comes to effective financial strategies, such as repurposing “winter bed" and "discharge" budgets to support home care initiatives.
Harnessing innovation to improve outcomes
Innovation: whose job is it anyway? Was a discussion held in the Innovation Theatre on Wednesday that drilled into the importance of how the ICS framework can best be utilised to improve healthcare outcomes. The panellists, who all came from diverse backgrounds in clinical pharmacy, healthcare improvement, and health technology, shared their insights on fostering innovation and overcoming the challenges associated with it.
The conversation revealed that while innovation can support preventative solutions, it is crucial to provide practical enablers like funding flexibility, implementation support, and the freedom to adapt solutions at a local level. The need for risk mitigation strategies and a supportive culture that both encourages risk-taking and values the input from frontline workers were also key points that emerged, particularly as the national average of NHS workers who felt their work was valued stood at only 45% in 2023.
"Innovation is a daily event. If you aren't innovating, you’re going backwards" - Mark Chapman, Interim Director of Medical Technology and Digital Evaluation at NICE.
A few encouraging words from the NHS CEO
With the cameras rolling, mics up to max, and eager crowds spilling through the doors, Amanda Pritchard’s keynote session on Wednesday was the highlight of the event.
She called attention to the fact that 75 years on from when the NHS started, we have made incredible advancements in cancer treatments, mental health services, and other areas of healthcare, with “opportunities that we’ve never had before.”
She made it clear that despite the Long Term Plan objectives, the NHS still faces ongoing challenges like staff safety and service failures, openly admitting that the NHS “is damaged, but not destroyed.”
When discussing the core issues around primary and community care, such as the unprecedented demand on GPs and hospitals and the high costs associated with care delivery, Amanda said how “more illness means more demand, requiring more capacity, more people, more places, more equipment, more drugs, and all those things add up to more costs. We also know we’re going to have a smaller working-age population paying the taxes that meet those costs.”
Pritchard said that over the next few years, the NHS will grow but it will also be reinvented in terms of primary care, which is “the bedrock of the NHS”. While there are over 10,000 more nurses and 4,000 more doctors in hospitals than three years ago, meeting the current demands require strong leadership, workforce development, and technology to shape the future of the NHS, with a continuous focus on proactive, patient-centred care.
As a closing note, Amanda urged everyone within the sector to embrace change and continuously strive for improvement, integration, and innovation.
“Our values have not changed, but the world around us has. We can be the generation who took the opportunities of the present to meet them head on, so that the generations that follow inherit an NHS they can be proud of. One that delivers health and high-quality care for all.”
NHS Confed Expo 2025: What might next year have in store?
This year’s event treated us to some eye-opening innovations, transformative digital technologies, and engaging discussions on the challenges and successes affecting all areas of healthcare.
With the political landscape due to shift in the next few weeks, the condition of the health sector could look very different 12 months on from now. All three of the UK’s largest parties have pledged to reform social care and around primary and community care by enhancing access to GP services. However, only time will tell whether the winning party will follow through on these promises and effectively implement the changes needed to make a tangible difference in the lives of patients and healthcare professionals.
These healthcare reforms, along with the status of the workforce, mental health services, and funding for NHS infrastructure will likely be the cornerstone of discussions at NHS Confed Expo 2025 - we look forward to finding out what else is in store.
