24 September 2025 | Kia Oval, London
Programme
Our conference is dedicated to empowering nurses with a significant voice in the transformation of digital healthcare. Emphasising transformative leadership, entrepreneurship, and clinical/tech partnerships, we aim to elevate nurses as key decision-makers who influence the direction of healthcare. Discussions will highlight the importance of devising and leading digital strategies, nurturing leadership qualities, and fostering innovation through partnerships between clinical staff and technology providers.
This programme could be subject to change
09:00 – 09:10
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Steve Ford, editor, Nursing Times
Professor Natasha Phillips, founder, Future Nurse
09:10 – 09:40
Keynote Address
Embracing the digital future of nursing and midwifery
This session will be a call to action for all nurse leaders, emphasising the critical need for cooperation among senior nurses to navigate the next stage of nursing. We will explore how person-centred care and safety can be enhanced through digital innovation and celebrate the successes we’ve achieved so far.
Looking at the essential role of nurse leaders in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, ensuring equitable care delivery, and building workforce digital readiness and competence. The session will also highlight strategies for improving productivity through data-driven decision-making and artificial intelligence, giving us a flavour of what future nursing may look like.
Sue Tranka , Chief Nursing Officer, Nurse Director NHS Wales
09:50 – 10:30
Panel Discussion
The power of collaboration: the role of senior nurses and clinical leaders in digital transformation
Discussing how nursing leaders’ roles are evolving in tandem with digital advancements, placing a renewed emphasis on the unique responsibilities nurse leaders hold in leveraging digital tools and data to enhance patient outcomes and experiences. Discover how close collaboration between CIOs, CNOs, CNIOs, and other stakeholders can accelerate progress.
Helen Balsdon, national CNIO, NHS England
Professor Heather Caudle, group CNO, Northern Care Alliance
Debbie Loke, CIO & director of digital, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS
Crystal Oldman , chief nurse, QNI
Will Goodwin, assistant director - digital capability, NHS England
10:30 – 11:00
Networking Content Break
11:00 - 12:30
DIGITAL LEADERSHIP
Panel Discussion – CNOs meeting feedback
11:00 – 11:45
Support for leading digital health and care transformation
Hear about the outcome of our CNO roundtable, where distinguished Chief Nurses discussed challenges, shared insights, and developed strategies to effectively navigate and lead the digital transformation within our health and social care system.
Steph Lawrence, QNI Fellow, Queens Nursing Institute
Professor Steven Hams, chief nursing officer, North Bristol NHS Trust
Paula Bennett, Chief Nurse, Health Innovation Manchester
Robert Bleasdale, chief nurse, Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Panel Discussion – Person-centred care and safety: safeguarding clinical practice and empowering patients in the digital era
11:45 – 12:30
Join our panel of experts as they explore the fundamental principles of patient safety and experience in the digital age, focusing on upholding clinical standards while integrating digital innovations. Discover how nursing professionals navigate the complexities of digital transformation and use data to ensure patient well-being remains the cornerstone of care delivery.
Gain insights into best practices for maintaining high standards of patient safety while empowering patients in the evolving digital healthcare landscape.
Joanne Bosanquet, chief executive, Foundation of Nursing Studies (FoNS)
Alice Sutton
Antonia Brown, CNIO, Sussex Community Trust
Professor Gemma Stacey, associate dean for practice, Nottingham Trent University
DIGITAL EXCHANGE
Case Study - Virtual Wards and Remote Monitoring for Long Term Conditions
12:00 – 12:30
Rachel Binks , Consultant Nurse, Airedale NHS FT
DIGITALK
Workshop - Round table discussion: How can we empower nurses to lead and innovate in today's healthcare landscape?
11:00 – 12:00
Uncover the transformative power of enabling nurses with the autonomy and resources needed to drive innovation. Discuss how nurturing leadership capabilities and fostering a culture of shared decision-making can empower nurses to enact meaningful change and champion the needs of their patients.
Sophie Brooks, CNIO, Homerton University Hospital
Navigating the road ahead: opportunities and challenges for AI implementation
Engage in a candid discussion on the potential of AI in healthcare, alongside critical challenges related to infrastructure, governance, bias and data security. Explore strategies for overcoming barriers to AI implementation while ensuring ethical, equitable, and safe deployment of AI technologies in nursing practice.
Tracie Miles, associate director of nursing and midwifery - genomics lead nurse, NHS South West Genomic Medicine Service Alliance
Sam Neville, Regional CNIO, NHS England
12:30 – 13:30
Networking Lunch
13:30 – 15:00
Panel Discussion - Improving productivity with documentation standardisation
13:30 – 14:15
Explore how the NHS Long Term Plan's technology standards can revolutionise healthcare delivery. This session will focus on how documentation standardisation can streamline operations, improve data accessibility, and enhance care coordination across all health and social care. Learn practical strategies for implementing these standards to support your staff, drive efficiency, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Oliver Lake, Deputy CEO and Chief Operations Officer, PRSB
Sarah Hanbridge, CCIO Nursing, Midwifery & AHP, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
William Monaghan, group chief digital information officer, University Hospitals of Leicester and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire
Rachael Corser, chief nursing officer, Buckinghamshire , Oxfordshire & Berkshire West Integrated Care System
Panel Discussion - Revolutionising patient monitoring: wearables and virtual wards in focus
14:15 – 15:00
Dive into groundbreaking advancements in patient monitoring, including wearable technology and virtual ward initiatives, and their profound impact on patient care outcomes and experiences. Address critical questions surrounding patient safety and the challenges of ensuring and equitable care delivery with patient engagement and satisfaction.
Rachel Binks, nurse consultant, digital & acute care, Airdale Digital Care Hub, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
Zoe Harris, chief nursing information officer , University Hospitals Nottingham
Rebecca Ashworth, clinical lead nurse
George Norton, Communities Manager, Thiscovery
Case Study - Virtual care along the care continuum – the opportunities and challenges of technology enablement
13:30 – 14:00
An interactive session discussing the opportunities and challenges to deliver patient centred care from prevention through to acute level care and everything in between. What are the people, process and technology challenges and opportunities we are facing on this journey.
Breid O'Brien, Transformation consultant,
Case Study - Patients experience matters, when implementing digital transformation projects in the NHS.
14:00 – 14:30
This session will explore how digital transformation in the NHS often overlooks patient perspectives in designing digital care pathways, leading to gaps in engagement and trust. To bridge this, patient-centred communication tools like Post Op are essential, promoting early discharge and collaborative recovery monitoring. Enhanced Personal Health Records (PHRs) that include recovery and clinical details can improve patient support and reduce hospital readmissions. For effective transformation, NHS digital policies must prioritize clinical needs with active clinician involvement in procurement.
Dr. Chindu Kabir, chief executive, PostOp
Case Study - Safer Care: Collaboration across sectors for closed loop medicines administration
14:30 – 15:00
Sonia Kelly, head of clinical informatics, Cleveland Clinic London
Hayley Grafton , chief nursing information officer, University Hospitals of Leicester
Transforming healthcare: mastering the HIMSS digital maturity framework
Learn how to ensure digital health maturity with the eight-stage maturity models aimed at supporting every part of your digital health transformation—whether we’re talking analytics, EMRs, infrastructure or digital imaging.
Bansi Shah, Digital Health Strategist, HIMSS
15:00 – 15:30
Networking Content Break
15:30 – 16:30
Panel Discussion - Digital readiness and competence: training and leadership in nursing
15:30 – 16:00
Uncover strategies for training and sustaining digital leadership within the nursing workforce, with an emphasis on providing ongoing support and protected time for learning. Address the readiness of the nursing workforce for digital transformation, including supporting older staff members and returning practitioners and the integration of digital elements into the curriculum for nursing students. Explore initiatives aimed at enhancing staff competencies, how to empower the workforce to use data and take ownership, thereby mitigating challenges and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Jimmy Endicott, UK commercial director, Health.io
James Freed, deputy director, The NHS Digital Academy, NHS England
Matthew Wynn, lecturer in digital health and society, school of health and society, University of Salford
Fran Beadle, chief nursing information officer, Digital Health and Care Wales
Panel Discussion - Building an organisation that has digital health & care at its heart
16:00 – 16:30
Explore the role of governance frameworks in nursing digitalisation, addressing management structures and emphasising the importance of standardising data. Learn how to drive cultural and behavioural change and create a robust governance structure to facilitate successful digital transformation initiatives and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Richard Cox, group chief nursing informatics officer, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Andrea Lewis RRC, regional chief nurse, NHS England – South East
Greta Westwood, CEO, Florence Nightingale Foundation
Entrepreneurs Spotlight
15:30 - 16:30
Hear the stories of entrepreneurial nurses who have managed to develop new technology and seen it deployed. How did they do it? Which barriers did they find and what solutions can they suggest?
Trailblazing in wound management - embedding digital platforms into everyday clinical practice
Prof MacDonald will present the work of introducing Smart Technology into everyday practice. Utilising and embedding the technology across multiple clinical settings for the benefit of wound/ Lymphoedema patients and staff development.
Prof. Jenni MacDonald , executive nurse director , Pioneer Wound Healing and Lymphoedema Centres
Trailblazing in safety - Genome for audit and assurance
Stacey Hatton , Chief Nursing Information Officer, The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
Roxanne Crosby-Nwaobi, lead nurse for research, Moorfields Eye Hospital
Round table discussion: What career paths lie beyond the CNIO for digital nursing professionals?
15:30 – 16:30
Expand your perspective on the myriads of opportunities awaiting nursing professionals in digital healthcare leadership. Engage in a thought-provoking discussion on breaking through barriers and forging innovative career trajectories beyond traditional roles, fostering a culture of continuous growth and advancement.
Ronke Adejolu, CxIO, BOB ICB and NHS England South East
Yinka Makinde, Deputy Director for Digital Mental Health and Digital Innovation Policy, NHS England
Workshop - Developing user friendly technologies with the user centred design blueprint
An introduction to user-centred design as an enabler of digital transformation, making sure you implement digital services around the needs of patients and nurses. We'll share a case study on a University Hospitals of Leicester’s project: Scan for safety, followed by the opportunity to try out a user-centred design tool that helps you think about how to balance the needs of different users, considering equity and sustainability.
still considered an emergent approach within healthcare.
Dr Victoria Betton, member of the international association of facilitators, Member of International Coaching Federation
Royal Society of Arts Fellow
Hayley Grafton, chief nursing information officer, University Hospitals of Leicester
16:30 – 17:15
Closing Panel Discussion: The next frontier: shift towards data-driven decision making and AI
Discuss the transformation from task-oriented care to data-driven decision-making, emphasising the coordination of the entire patient journey. Explore how leveraging data and AI empowers nurses to provide personalised, person-centric care, addressing the holistic needs of individuals across all settings of the care continuum. Delve into how digital tools can facilitate collaboration and seamless data flow between different sectors, including acute, community, mental health, and social care, to improve communication and care coordination.
Chair: Calum MacLeod, director - healthcare , TrustMarque
Dione Rogers, deputy chief nurse/chief nurse informatics officer , Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Simon Tischer Sales Success Manager, Microsoft
Gary Mcallister , Chief Information Technology Officer , Dell
17:15 – 17:30
NurseTech Innovation Challenge – Winners announced