Hectic agenda planned for Expo 2016

A packed two-day programme has been announced for the 2016 Health and Care Innovation Expo, which will be held at Manchester Central on September 7-8.

The programme includes presentations by a host of high-profile of speakers who will give their addresses from two main stages. There will also be four specialist feature zones and eight pop-up university rooms, as well as the usual array of business stands.

Main-stage highlights include:

     * Comedian and campaigner Ruby Wax leading a panel discussing innovation in mental health

     * A keynote speech by NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens

     * Digital health expert Professor Bob Wachter MD presenting the findings of his review of healthcare IT in England

     * The inspirational Kate Granger Awards for Compassionate Care, which have received a record number of entries

* Matthew Syed, sportsman, journalist and author of “Black Box Thinking”, on how the study of failure can lead to success.

Commenting on her part in the programme, Ruby Wax says: “One in four people will suffer from a mental illness at some point in their lives, and by 2020 stress and depression will be the leading cause of death and disability. I’m very excited to come together with so many forward thinking experts at Expo 2016 to help find ways to break the stigma and really transform mental health services and treatment for the future.”

Jane Dwelly, Head of Health and Care Innovation at NHS England, adds: “Whatever your link to innovation in health and care, there will always something of interest going on across Expo’s multiple platforms. We’re delighted to welcome such a broad range of very high-profile speakers, and extremely proud to once again host the Kate Granger Awards, which recognise the very best in compassionate care across England.

“The NHS and wider health and social care sector is continuing to collaborate, innovate and develop new full systems of care that make the most of all the excellent shared resources we have. Expo is a real melting-pot of ideas, and a great place to learn about the new techniques and ways of working that can make a difference in your own community or workplace.”

More than 100 expert-led sessions are planned for the pop-up university, with workshop leaders including NHS England’s Head of General Practice Development, Dr Robert Varnam, National Medical Director for Acute Care Professor Keith Willett, and the Nuffield Trust’s Director of Policy Candace Imison.

The four feature zones will give an in-depth look at some of the NHS’s priority areas, and each will run a full speaker programme with national and regional leaders throughout the two days.

There will be vital updates on each of the 50 “vanguard” New Care Models development areas, while the Right Care zone will explore the new commissioning systems currently being rolled out across all 211 CCGs in England.

The Personalised Medicine zone will demonstrate how the 100,000 Genomes project, coupled with other national and international work to develop personalised diagnosis and treatment, is already making a difference to families’ lives, while the Digital Health and Care zone will showcase the latest health-related developments in digital technology.

More than 5,500 people are expected to register for Expo 2016. The event is cost-neutral to hosts, NHS England, and most public and voluntary sector staff are eligible to attend free-of-charge.