Story Highlight
– Digital Health Rewired 2026 features 10 conference stages.
– Keynote session on engaging CEOs in digital strategies.
– Cyber security session addresses patient-to-citizen safety transition.
– Pitchfest finalists compete for digital health startup funding.
– Over 300 speakers confirmed, including top health IT leaders.
Full Story
The agenda for the forthcoming Digital Health Rewired 2026 conference has been officially unveiled, showcasing a comprehensive programme with ten distinct stages featuring contributions from prominent figures in the digital health sector, including NHS leaders, healthcare innovators, and pioneering clinicians.
The new programme elements include various themes such as the Digital Frontline, sponsored by PwC; Cyber and Infrastructure, sponsored by Cisco; Digital Leadership, supported by BT; and EPR (Electronic Patient Record) Implementation and Optimisation hosted by Altera Digital Health. Additionally, the Patient Engagement stage and a Best Practice Showcase will be featured. Further details regarding the complete programme can be accessed online.
Previously, in December 2025, the initial stages focusing on Digital Transformation, Integrated Care, AI, and Data and Digital were released. Notably, all sessions at the upcoming event will qualify for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation.
Among the sessions expected to attract considerable attention is a keynote presentation on the Digital Transformation Stage. This session will delve into effective strategies for engaging with executive leadership, featuring insights from Raghuv Bhasin, interim CEO of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust; Jonathan Brotherton, CEO of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; and Simon Constable, CEO at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.
On the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Stage, a session titled “The 10 Year Plan: Is There a Transition from Patient to Citizen Safety?” will be presented by Chris Day, clinical lead for Cyber Security at NHS England. This discussion will focus on the changing landscape of cyber threats, reviewing lessons learned from recent cyber incidents, and what a shift from protecting individual patients to ensuring the safety of society as a whole might entail for the NHS’s ongoing cyber strategy and its infrastructural resilience.
The EPR Implementation Stage will highlight the collaborative efforts of local digital leaders from the East Midlands Acute Providers (EMAP) Digital Design Collaborative. They will discuss the integration of eight acute trusts working collaboratively towards a unified electronic patient record system.
The Best Practice Showcase Stage will feature the finale of Pitchfest, a prestigious annual competition for up-and-coming digital health startups to present their innovations to a live audience. Earlier this week, a shortlist of 16 contenders was announced, who will compete in virtual rounds over the next few weeks for a chance to advance to the live finale.
With over 300 speakers confirmed for the event, participants will benefit from insights shared by some of the leading figures in health IT. The list of confirmed speakers includes:
– Beverley Bryant, Chief Digital Officer at Dorset Providers
– Siobhan Harrington, CEO of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
– Professor Alastair Denniston, Professor of Regulatory Science and Innovation and Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist at the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
– Dr Jessica Morley, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Yale University’s Digital Ethics Center
– Dr Joe Zhang, Head of Data Science, Artificial Intelligence Centre for Value-Based Healthcare, London SDE
– Dr Alec Price-Forbes, National Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) at NHS England
– Helen Balsdon, National Chief Nursing Information Officer (CNIO) at NHS England
– Rachel Hope, Director of Digital Prevention Services, NHS England
– Professor Ben Goldacre, Director of the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science
– Charlotte Refsum, Director of Health Policy at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
Co-headline sponsors for Digital Health Rewired 2026 include The Access Group and Optum, who will sponsor the Integrated Care and Digital Transformation stages respectively.
The conference is scheduled to take place from 24 to 25 March at The NEC Birmingham. Notably, representatives from the NHS, public sector entities, charities, as well as research and educational institutions can attend free of charge.
In a bid to support its members in navigating the evolving landscape of digital health across the UK, techUK is facilitating pathways for engagement within the NHS and the social care sector. Their initiatives aim to equip members with the tools necessary for addressing future challenges in healthcare technology, validating innovative concepts, and devising effective strategies to prepare for market success.
For ongoing updates and opportunities related to Digital Health and Social Care, interested individuals are encouraged to engage with techUK’s dedicated programmes.
Our Thoughts
The article does not report on a specific incident involving health and safety breaches; therefore, no analysis of what could have been done differently, key safety lessons, or relevant regulations is applicable. It primarily presents an overview of the Digital Health Rewired 2026 conference programme and does not mention any safety concerns or incidents that require examination under UK health and safety legislation.
