Registration and morning refreshments

Main conference room

Welcome remarks

Main conference room

Keynote and Q&As

Main conference room

The Future of Nursing: Resilience, Reform, and Reimagination

As system-wide reform accelerates, nurses are being asked to adapt, lead, and reimagine their roles in a changing health and care landscape. In this opening keynote, Professor Mark Radford will explore what’s on the horizon, from structural shifts to new opportunities, and reflects on how nurses can play an active role in shaping the future.

Panel Discussion

What Nurses Need Now: Turning Workforce Insights into Action

Main conference room

System-wide change is here, from the merging of national bodies to the rise of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and shifting leadership structures. But what do nurses want from this transformation, and how can we make it happen? This session looks beyond the disruption to focus on solutions: how nurses can shape new ways of working, influence decision-making, and secure the support and visibility they need.

Chair:

Panellist:

Morning refreshments, networking and exhibition

Ideas exchange

Designed to allow the audience to network and consider several workforce priorities. Each session will feature an introduction to the session topics and a panel to share feedback from the discussions. Choose which round table discussion to attend or join the panel discussions stream.

Lunch, networking and exhibition

Recruitment, Education & Training - Ideas exchange

Choose the round table with the topic closer to your heart for an interactive session with your peers, guided by an expert moderator.

Intro Panel

13:20 – 13:30

Roundtable Discussions

13:30 – 14:10

Rethinking Entry Routes

Apprenticeships vs. University Pathways: What works and for whom

With the need to expand and diversify the nursing workforce, this session explores the strengths and challenges of different entry routes into the profession. Join peers to debate what’s working, who benefits most from each pathway, and how we can ensure every route leads to confident, capable nurses ready to thrive.

Training on the Floor

How to deliver continuous, bite-sized education at the point of care.

Traditional training models don’t always fit the realities of stretched teams. This session explores how we can embed short, practical learning into everyday practice, from micro-teaching on shift to digital prompts and peer support. Join colleagues to share what's working, what gets in the way, and how we can build a culture where learning happens in real time, not just in classrooms.

Ideas exchange Feedback discussion panel

14:10 – 14:40

• What common challenges have been highlighted in the discussions?
• What advice would you offer to overcome these challenges?
• What actions or pledges would you like delegates to take away from this session?

Afternoon refreshments, networking and exhibition

Transformation - Main Stage

Strategic panel discussions and expert keynotes with Q&A sessions

Presentation

Tech That Works for Nurses : Unlocking flexibility, balance, and time to care

15:10 - 15:40

Technology has the power to make work better. When it’s shaped with the workforce in mind, it can offer more control, smarter staffing, and a better balance between work and life.

This session explores how digital rostering and workforce tools are enabling more flexible, responsive workplaces, where nurses feel supported, valued, and free to focus on what matters most: time to care.

Panel discussion

No More Them and Us : Bridging divides between sectors, roles, and leadership tiers

(NHS, social care, mental health, digital leader)

15:40 - 16:30

As the government’s health and care strategy shifts from hospitals to communities, from sickness to prevention, and from analogue to digital, collaboration has never been more essential. This panel explores how we can break down silos between sectors and leadership tiers, across NHS, social care, mental health, and digital, to deliver truly joined-up care.

What does it take to move beyond “them and us” thinking and lead with shared purpose, aligned incentives, and mutual respect?

Chair:

Panellist:

Leadership, Culture & Retention - Ideas exchange

Choose the round table with the topic closest to your heart for an interactive session with your peers, guided by an expert moderator.

Intro Panel

15:10 – 15:20

Roundtable Discussions

15:20 – 16:00

Staff safety and patient dignity in secured mental health settings

Nurses in mental health and secure settings face some of the highest rates of violence and aggression in the NHS. This session explores how frontline staff can be better supported, with insight on the challenges of managing safety as restrictive interventions are reduced.

Speak-Up Spaces and Psychological Safety.

Creating climates where nurses can thrive.

This session explores how to build cultures of trust, where concerns are heard, mistakes become learning moments, and staff feel supported to be honest and open.

Ideas exchange feedback discussion panel

16:00 – 16:30

• What common challenges have been highlighted in the discussions?
• What advice would you offer to overcome these challenges?
• What actions or pledges would you like delegates to take away from this session?

Fire Side Chat: Closing the Gap Between Expectations and Realities

Join a candid conversation between a senior chief nurse and frontline nurses from both hospital ward and community setting. This session explores the disconnect between strategic expectations and everyday clinical realities. Together, we’ll unpack what leadership can learn from the floor, and how mutual understanding can drive meaningful change in practice, policy, and workforce morale.

Senior chief nurse

Ward manager

Early career nurse (acute)

Nurse (community)

Closing remarks