Chris Hopson

Guest Speaker

Chris joined NHS England (NHSE) in June 2022 as the newly created Chief Strategy Officer, responsible for NHSE’s strategy; policy; communications; stakeholder management including the formal relationship with Government; health inequalities and a greener NHS.

Between 2012 and 2022 Chris was CEO of NHS Providers, the membership organisation for the 210 hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services that treat patients and service users in the NHS. NHS Providers had all trusts in England in voluntary membership, collectively accounting for £104bn of annual expenditure and 1.2 million staff.

In his role at NHS Providers, Chris was a frequent public commentator on NHS issues, regularly appearing in the media on programmes such as Question Time, Any Questions, Today Programme and all the main television and radio news bulletins. He also built up a substantial Twitter following @ChrisCEOHopson, using a series of twitter threads to explain how frontline trusts were seeing to improve patient outcomes and care. Chris also chaired the Programme Board for the NHS Aspiring CEOs programme, which he helped create, and which has seen 28 of its graduates appointed to NHS Trust Chief Executive roles over the last six years.

Ian Rose OBE

Motivational Speaker

Ian was born with retinoblastoma and lost his left eye and most of the sight in his right. Left with a facial disfigurement and had to wear thick glasses. His parents introduced him to Judo in order to boost his confidence.

He went on to win two Paralympic medals, 5 World Championships medals and four European Championships.

Due to an injury, he was forced into early retirement in 2011 after a 22-year international career. However as one of Great Britain’s most successful Paralympic Judoka, Ian was a torchbearer and opening ceremony performer for the London 2012 Paralympic Games,

Ian’s positive nature and zest for life helped him achieve sporting stardom and world-class success. He specifically leads on the power of the individual and improving personal performance, overcoming adversity, goal setting and avoiding complacency.

Ian now travels the world with the goal of helping people achieve their full potential and is a specialist in resilience and confidence building; whilst maintaining his 3 steps to success:

1. Keep it simple

2. Practice makes progression, not perfection

3. What’s in your Cup of Best?

Professor James Kingsland OBE

Keynote Speaker

James is a primary care physician, former Senior Partner in a nationally renowned, award-winning general practice in England and is a clinical professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Central Lancashire.

He has designed and led major national and international service transformation projects during a distinguished career in clinical practice spanning 40 years and is now regarded as a world authority on healthcare reform.

In recognition of this, he was awarded the OBE for services to Medicine and to Healthcare in the Queens Diamond Jubilee New Year’s Honours 2012.

He is the co-designer of the blueprint for Primary Care Networks across England and has built on this work as the national clinical lead for a programme to address health inequalities across England.

He created and chairs the UK Digital Clinical Excellence Forum (DiCE) which leads on the development of standards for on-line clinical services.

James is a founder member of the Faculty of Disaster Medicine for southern Asia and now serves as the Clinical Director for Saving Lives International CIO.

He has been working for 22 years and is the longest serving doctor with the BBC.

Some of his previous roles have included Founding Board member, Chair and President of the National Association of Primary Care (UK), Advisor to the UK Department of Health, adviser to the Cabinet Office of the Government of the Isle of Man, and he has served on the board of three NHS hospitals.