Photo courtesy of Melissa Simmonds, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust.

1. Fresh funding is a licence to design, not just defend 

NHS ConfedExpo 2025 coincided with the UK Government’s 2025 Spending Review, which delivered a 2.7 % real-terms uplift in day-to-day health spending and earmarked £10 billion for digital and data. It was clear on day 2 of the conference that this created an atmosphere of simultaneous relief and responsibility. After years of plugging gaps, leaders now have some space to reshape pathways, address waiting lists and invest in preventative services. The mood was confident but clear-eyed: squander the boost and public patience could evaporate fast. 

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) moves from shiny promise to practical productivity 

Two packed “AI theatres” underscored how quickly generative AI tools have entered the mainstream. Live demos showed bots drafting clinic letters in seconds and triaging routine queries. Speakers cautioned against novelty for its own sake. The acid test is whether AI can meaningfully improve operations or patient outcomes (e.g. by releasing clinician time or improving patient access). 

3. Virtual and remote care prove they can save money 

Innovation at scale is no longer hypothetical - we saw multiple examples of how virtual care is now a tested, cheaper care alternative, and not just a hopeful pilot. While we continue to trial the uses of AI in the NHS, we also need to focus on scaling up proven innovations. 

Frimley Health and Care's ‘Hospital at Home’ remote-monitoring service watches over more than ten-thousand residents, triaging eight-hundred-thousand questionnaire returns and triggering proactive calls when metrics slip. Patients see their own stats and clinicians intervene earlier.  

In West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals and Central London Community Healthcare, a full evaluation of thousands of cases put virtual-ward costs at £118 per patient per night versus £569 in hospital, with higher satisfaction scores and the confidence to treat high-acuity cases at home.  

4. Mental-health crisis care needs calmer spaces 

A&E remains the default for many in psychological crisis – yet most agree it is the wrong environment. Community organisations showcased a complementary model – twenty-four-hour “crisis havens”. Located in the community or alongside A&E, these non-clinical, psychologically informed settings flex capacity to individual risk and offer clinical in-reach only when escalation is necessary. These havens have the potential to reduce Emergency Department pressure, support earlier discharge and give patients a calmer place to regain control. 

5. Collaboration must move from talking shop to shared accountability 

Partnership working was a core theme across panels, but while many systems have rebuilt relationships across teams and systems, fewer have hard-wired joint decision making. With vacancies still high and duplication rife, collaboration is no longer optional. Practical steps discussed on the floor included pooled improvement budgets, joint KPIs and co-located teams.  

Of course, true collaboration goes beyond organisational boundaries, extending to include the voice of the patient in shaping services and outcomes. We were delighted to have Associate Partner, Harris Lorie, supporting the panel with the team from Forest Lodge - a low-secure mental health inpatient unit in Sheffield – who shared their experiences of co-production as part of the Mental Health Act Quality Improvement Programme. In the ward, clinicians and lived-experience advisors have been working side by side to reduce restrictive-practice inequalities, and they offered a glimpse of what genuine power-sharing looks like, and why it delivers better outcomes. 

If you would like support turning these ideas into deliverable programmes whether scaling virtual wards, embedding AI safely or designing true community partnerships, get in touch with us at hello@thepsc.co.uk. We’d love to support you.