LEADERSHIP FORUM

HEFMA’s 2026 National Leadership Forum, held last week (May 27-29) at the Royal Armouries in Leeds presented an excellent programme of speakers as well as a vibrant exhibition, and benefited from record delegate attendance. We welcomed back our 2025 Host, broadcaster Rachel McTavish, who once again presided over the speaker programme and the awards dinner with effortless professionalism.

Ahead of a full report from the event in the July/August issue of HEFMA’s Pulse magazine, here are a few snippets from the Forum speaker programme.

Keynote presentations

The 2026 Forum saw two keynote presentations, both of which covered material that was at times uncomfortable. Talking about the counter-terrorism legislation known as Martyn’s Law, Figen Murray OBE framed the need for Trusts to step up work to comply with this legislation in terms of the human impact of terrorist attacks – the lives destroyed or altered for ever, the victims, their family and friends. 

According to Home Office figures, since 2017 there have been 15 domestic terror attacks and 39 late-stage plots have been disrupted by agencies and law enforcement. Figen further revealed that 30,000 individuals have been identified as “dancing around the edges” of terrorism. 

It is incumbent on NHS Trusts along with all other public premises to take appropriate action to comply with the tighter security requirements that the law introduces, many of which are low- and no-cost interventions. The consequences of non-compliance are not only an increased risk of a terror attack on your premises, but, following the implementation date of April 3, 2027, and an expected period during which SIA, the regulator, will extend clemency whilst advising and helping venues to comply, the penalties will be substantial, with a fine that could be as high as £18m as well as possible criminal charges.

Closing the Forum, motivational speaker Richard McCann, of the iCan Academy, drew a collective gasp from the audience as the extent of the personal adversity he suffered as a six-year-old – when his mother became the first victim of Peter Sutcliffe – became clear. The principles of iCan are to find positives in every negative, principles which he demonstrated with anecdotes and examples from personal experience. It starts with belief, and Richard pointed out that belief is a choice – no-one is born negative. There is always a way back from the low points that life throws at you, as long as you have belief.

Threads and themes

Fit for the Future is of course the theme of the NHS 10 Year Plan, and the Forum speaker programme was curated to dovetail with the ambitions it sets out, with sessions focused on digitalisation of services and buildings, and the use of artificial intelligence; the journey towards a neighbourhood health service, with collaboration across regions seeing organisations working together in alliances, and the development of outpatient services on the high street; examples of people development strategies designed to attract, retain and enhance the Estates and Facilities workforce; and the ongoing journey towards a sustainable, net zero health service.

A Q&A session saw Rachel McTavish put questions to Steve Russell, CEO of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust drilled into the NHS 10 Year Plan in more detail, with Steve observing that personalisation is the plan’s underlying theme. 

The programme also heard from HEFMA’s National Chair David Moss about the association’s activities, including the announcement of a new partnership with CompliMind which is designed to help members to navigate the growing complexity of compliance, knowledge management and digital transformation across NHS Estates and Facilities. NHS England’s Simon Corben presented an update on the areas of focus for the next three years from the national team. He confirmed that a Design and Delivery guide for projects under £300m is due to be published shortly and an AI tool is being beta-tested within the Strata programme (formerly Shape). He also issued a caution that only 20% of Trusts have met all eight of the Food Standards, even though next year will mark the five-year anniversary of their introduction. This, he said, was not good enough, and in 2026, PAM will be asking for compliance on each standard.

Looking ahead to 2027

Next year, the Forum moves south, to the De Vere Cotswolds Water Park, from Wednesday May 19 – Friday May 21. Please put the date in your diaries now.

You can now browse the photos from this year's Leadership Forum.

Click here to view

Express your interest in exhibiting at the next HEFMA Leadership Forum, which will be held at the De Vere Cotswolds Water Park from May 19-21, 2027.

The HEFMA Leadership Forum provides a perfect foundation for suppliers to NHS Estates and Facilities to promote their organisation and showcase their latest products, services and solutions to senior buyers and decision makers from their target market.

For more information and to request your stand, please contact Louise Fuller on 01474 520240 or email [email protected] 

We have now closed the door on the 2026 HEFMA Leadership Forum and planning is starting for next year's event. The booking system will re-open for 2027 later this year.

If you have any problems loading the booking pages, please call our helpline on 0344 571 8211 or email [email protected]