Conference

Staff experience in the NHS: Navigating challenges and change together

Our popular virtual conference will look at how we can sustain staff experience against a challenging and complex NHS backdrop.
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General information

Time
18 November 2025 08:15 - 16:00 GMT
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Audience
Open to all

Speakers

Delegates in session

Taking place on 18 November, our virtual conference will bring together professionals in health and wellbeing, staff experience and staff engagement. During the day, through panel discussions, breakout sessions, keynote speeches and case studies, we will explore how to navigate challenges and change together to maintain excellent staff experience outcomes for your teams. 

We have an exciting agenda with inspiring and expert speakers exploring a number of different topics. 

  • Sustaining staff experience against a challenging and complex NHS backdrop so our teams stay and thrive. 
  • Delivering bold transformational action, lead change through uncertainty and navigate challenging times together. 
  • Taking a deep dive into the Ten Year Health Plan – what are the implications, challenges and opportunities for staff experience?  

Delegates attending the conference will:

  • join subject experts for mainstage keynotes and interactive breakout sessions with space for discussion and Q&A 
  • spend time with those leading and innovative NHS organisations who are demonstrating good practice with practical tools, insights and strategies to strengthen local implementation 
  • leave feeling inspired, energised and connected.  

Accessibility

We are committed to hosting an inclusive and accessible event that enables everyone to attend and engage fully. Please get in touch if you have any additional requirements before attending.

Sponsorship opportunities

If you are interested in becoming an event partner or supporter, please contact ross.edwards@nhsconfed.org to explore opportunities. 

Agenda

8.15am - Conference opens

  • TBC

  • Jen Gardner, Assistant Director, NHS Employers will open conference and share a video from Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

  • Cheryl Samuels, People and Culture Director, Evelina London (Guys and St. Thomas Trust) and Personnel Today Awards 2025 finalist is joined by HR Business Partner Clare Ridout to talk about Evelina London’s culture change journey, including their award-nominated initiative that has strengthened engagement, widened equitable access, and built a fairer, more inclusive approach to flexibility. This is a chance to hear first-hand how leadership, strategy, and lived values can come together to create modern ways of working that work for everyone. 

  • Hear from Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation and Danny Mortimer, Chief Executive, NHS Employers who were involved in shaping the recently published ten-year health plan. Join them in a panel with Caroline Waterfield, Director of Development and Employment, NHS Employers to discuss the plan and the implications, challenges and opportunities for staff experience.  

11.30-11.45am - Break

  • In this session, Jane Keep, Head of Staff Experience, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will share how her trust was able to maintain and sustain excellent staff experience outcomes against a challenging and complex NHS backdrop so that teams stay and thrive.  

12.15-1.15pm - Lunch

  • Supporting your own wellbeing.

1.15-2pm - Breakout sessions round one

  • In this session Amy Oakes, Head of Learning and Organisational Development, Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust shares how her organisation created a clear, centralised employee value proposition (EVP) brochure to showcase its full employment offer; boosting staff awareness, onboarding, and engagement. Amy will also deep dive into the role of financial wellbeing in shaping a meaningful employment offer. Olivia Farley, Reward Programme Manager, NHS Employers will conclude the session by signposting attendees to NHS Employers resources, giving them practical tools to develop and communicate their own EVP.

  • In this session Carly Telford, Assistant Director, NHS Employers - Do OD talks about empowering staff experience professionals to lead change through practical OD tools and personal insight. This session is framed around an adaptive leadership model, exploring how to shift mindsets, embed staff experience and build expertise as agents of change.

  • Making effective use of staff feedback is a key part of an overall approach to improving staff experience. Steven Weeks, Policy Manager, NHS Employers, speaks to Jane Keep, Head of Staff Experience, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Annie Laverty, Chief Experience Officer, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust about how their trusts have implemented innovative ideas to make the most of feedback to improve the experience of both staff and patients. 

2.-2.15pm - Break

2.15-3pm - Breakout sessions round two

  • Rebecca Patel, Associate Director Health, Safety and Wellbeing at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton 

  • Join us to hear Justine Alldritt, Senior People Business Partner, Royal Stoke University Hospital and Sarah Curran, Lead for Vulnerable People, Royal Stoke University Hospital talk about how they developed collaborative working between the people team and safeguarding teams when concerns arise. In this interactive session, you will learn about the long-term commitment the trust has made to getting this culture right to support staff.

  • Violence against staff remains a major issue in the NHS. In this session, delivered in association with the Social Partnership Forum, Alan Lofthouse, Chair of the Violence Reduction Sub Group of the Social Partnership Forum, and Acting Deputy Head of Health, UNISON Health Group and Rebecca Smith, Director of System and Social Partnership, NHS Employers will talk about work that that has been undertaken on tackling violence at national level in partnership with NHS unions, share ideas from trusts and outline next steps on this important issue.  

  • In this keynote speech hear from Myron Rogers a renowned and leading expert, author and consultant on systems change and leadership development. Myron will share his expert insights and offer solutions on how we can collectively deliver bold transformational action to support NHS staff experience, whilst navigating uncertainty and challenging times. Elizabeth Nyawade, Chief of People and Culture, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and other leaders will join Myron in a panel discussion to reflect on these challenges and how to make sustainable change a reality.  

4pm - Chairs reflections and conference close

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