Novartis UK is proud to return to NHS ConfedExpo 2026 for another year as an event partner.
Working together with the NHS, patient groups, academia and industry, we are tackling the toughest challenges in healthcare.
Find us at stand C70, or follow our journey on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Watch Johan Kahlström, Country President and Managing Director, Novartis UK, speak about why this event is crucial.
Health Inequalities Learning Theatre
12:00 – 12:40 (BST)
This session addresses the ongoing inequities affecting access to medicines and care across the UK. Using lived-experience insights, we’ll discuss how regional differences, structural barriers and system design contribute to unequal access and where innovative solutions are making a difference.
Moderator:
• Jacob Lant, Chief Executive, National Voices
Speakers:
• Giles Lomax, Chief Executive Officer, Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK,
• Helen Rowntree, Chief Executive, Blood Cancer UK
• Dr Dianne Addei, Director, National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England
This non-promotional content has been fully funded and developed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd. It is intended for UK healthcare professionals, other relevant decision makers and patient organisations.
Collaboration & Partnerships Learning Theatre
15:00 – 15:40 (BST)
In a context where resources must be maximised, a transformational approach is needed to deliver on the ambitions of the National Cancer Plan. This session with Cancer Alliance leaders explores how system collaboration and agility are key to improving outcomes for people with cancer.
Moderator:
• Sarah Woolnaugh, Chief Executive, The King’s Fund
Speakers:
• Claire O’Rourke, Managing Director, Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and Diagnostic Network
• Lucy McLaughlin, Head of Cancer Programmes, NHS West and North London ICB
• Amanda Pleavin, Managing Director, East of England Cancer Alliance
This non-promotional content has been fully funded and developed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd. It is intended for UK healthcare professionals, other relevant decision makers and patient organisations.
Exchange Auditorium (Main Stage)
11:00 – 11:40 (BST)
The 10 Year Health Plan emphasised the importance of new technology for transformation, but given current financial constraints, are these goals still realistic? This main stage panel brings together Johan Kahlström, Country President and Managing Director of Novartis UK, alongside NHS and innovation leaders to uncover the answers.
Moderator:
• Dr Anna Charles, Senior Fellow, The King’s Fund
Speakers
• Mike Bell, Chair, West and North London Integrated Care Board & Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
• Johan Kahlström, Country President and Managing Director of Novartis UK
This non promotional content has been fully funded and developed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd. It is intended for UK healthcare professionals, other relevant decision makers and patient organisations.
Podcast Studio
13:00 - 13:55 (BST)
Join this discussion exploring how cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention ambitions are being translated into practice across systems. Bringing together a national policy perspective, a national clinical voice and leaders from two integrated care boards, the panel reflects on what has been learned, what has shifted locally and how ICBs plan to deliver their CVD action plans in light of the newly published CVD Modern Service Framework (MSF).
Podcast host:
• Slade Carter, Head of External Affairs, Heart UK
Speakers:
• Dr Rani Khatib FESC FRCPharm, National Specialty Advisor for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, NHS England
• Duncan Jenkins, Associate Director of Pharmacy and Population Health, Black Country ICB
• Mahmoud Khodadi, Lead Pharmacist, Lead Pharmacist, 5 Parks PCN, Airedale NHS Trust
This non promotional content has been fully funded and developed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd. It is intended for UK healthcare professionals, other relevant decision makers and patient organisations.
Improving the nation’s health cannot be achieved by any single organisation.
That is why partnership is not just a value for us. It’s how we work.
Across the UK, we are working with partners to re-design care pathways, optimise clinical capacity and reduce variations in access.
From breast cancer care in Greater Manchester to cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention in Cheshire and Merseyside, we are working with integrated care systems to translate policy ambition into on-the-ground delivery and with patient groups to ensure lived experience informs system change.
See our partnerships in action:
To learn more about our UK partnerships supporting the NHS to address some of its most pressing challenges across a range of therapy areas, click here* to view our HCP portal, collaborative working projects and commitments to tackling health inequalities.
*Note: This link is intended for UK healthcare professionals and other relevant decision makers, including NHS professionals involved in service or budgetary planning responsibilities.
UK | May 2026 | FA-11672999