Event Details

Key Speakers

	Dr Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
	Professor Mahmood Adil, National Quality, Innovation, Productivity & Prevention Advisor, Department of Health
	Jill Finney, Deputy Chief Executive, Care Quality Commission

Overview

In the UK, approximately one million people use NHS Services every 36 hours. The Department of Health highlights that one of the key challenges facing the health sector is ensuring the safety of everyone who comes into contact with health services. However, with budgets being squeezed, whilst demand grows due to an ageing population and obesity, patient care may suffer as serious pressure is placed on services.

Despite recent improvements in hygiene and tackling superbugs, the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual report for 2010-11 highlighted failings in key areas of performance by state and non-state providers of health and social care services. It is clear that further work is required to improve patient safety and the Government has announced its intention to create the Nurse Quality Forum to improve care standards and share best practice.

The Health and Social Care Bill (January 2011) is a significant part of the Government’s plans to modernise the NHS that is built around patients and delivered by health professionals to achieve world-class healthcare outcomes. The bill takes forward areas of the White Paper - Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS (July 2010), which places patient-centred services at the heart of the proposal.

This timely symposium offers an invaluable opportunity for NHS practitioners, health visitors, local authorities and other key stakeholders to discuss the challenges faced by the NHS to deliver quality, patient-centred services. In addition, the symposium will consider the Government’s vision for the future of patient care in England, and explore how to unlock the potential of all practitioners in order to better meet the needs of every patient.

Delegates will:

• Examine the future for patient safety in the UK and how to deliver a service fit for the 21st Century
• Discuss the impact of clinically-led commissioning and patient empowerment
• Consider how to ensure each person receives safe, effective, personalised care
• Explore how to strengthen the NHS workforce, attracting talent, furthering skills and promoting leadership
• Share best practice on tackling inequalities in healthcare and other key healthcare themes

Programme

Who Should Attend?

• Educators and managers responsible for the delivery of high quality healthcare education and risk management
• Qualified staff and students from all healthcare professions (medics, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, pharmacists, theatre practitioners, etc)
• Representatives of primary and community care, pre-hospital and hospital care, and the military
• Healthcare leaders – policy makers, commissioners and stakeholders involved in workforce development and patient safety improvement
• Clinical Managers
• Practice Managers
• Directors/Heads of Quality and Patient Safety and Experience
• Wards Managers and Sisters
• Directors of Clinical Quality and Governance
• Directors of performance
• Health visitors
• NHS Trust Chief Executives and Directors
• SHA Workforce Directors
• NHS HR Directors and Workforce planners
• Directors of Social Services
• Directors of Adult Services
• Directors of Children’s services
• Managers of Independent Care Homes
• Voluntary organisations in Health and Social Care
• Think Tanks
• Patient Safety Officers
• Individuals in a safety oversight role
• Academics
• Third Sector
• Local Authorities and Councillors
• Central Government Departments

“ This government has one overriding goal for the NHS – for it to produce outcomes that are among the best in the world. Simple to say – hard to deliver – impossible without an absolute commitment to patient safety.
To achieve it, we need to learn. We need to be open to the experiences and lessons of others, from within the NHS and far beyond it, from the UK and around the world. For there is nothing, I repeat, nothing that is as important as ensuring patient safety. When other objectives conflict with safety, safety must be the priority.”
— Simon Burns MP, Minister of State for Health Services, 8 December 2010

“ The Government's plans build on the reforms initiated by Ara Darzi's review of the NHS which put quality centre stage in a way everyone could understand. The current Bill is a natural progression aimed at ensuring, that firstly, our understanding of quality is enshrined in law; secondly, clinical results become the currency of the NHS; thirdly, clinicians play a greater role in setting direction for the delivery of clinical services and are accountable for that freedom; and, above all, patients are given the opportunity to take greater control over how they receive their care.”
— Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, October 2011