News

A full house at Health Innovation North 2025 brought together leaders from health, care, academia, and industry to share innovative thinking and best practice in delivering the ambitions of the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Hosted by the four northern health innovation networks – Yorkshire & Humber, Manchester, North West Coast and North East and North Cumbria – the conference attracted huge interest, with 300 in attendance and another 200 watching via a livestream.

The full-day conference, held in Leeds, featured keynote presentations from colleagues shaping national policy, alongside a series of engaging discussions, workshops and panel sessions, exploring solutions to some of our biggest challenges.

The aim was to inspire innovative thinking and showcase the health and care concepts being rapidly adopted as best practice across the NHS and the wider healthcare system.

Sir James Mackey, CEO of NHS England, was the first keynote speaker and he acknowledged current challenges facing the NHS and urged colleagues to ‘get behind’ the key priorities of the 10-Year Plan.

In a brief interview after his presentation, Sir James described how health innovation networks help to shape and spread innovations and have a convening role in bringing together partners from across the system, to deliver the ambitions set out in the 10-Year Plan.

Tom Riordan CBE, Second Permanent Secretary at Department of Health and Social Care, spoke about the importance of collaboration between health, care, industry, and local government in creating healthier and more prosperous communities.

Recordings of each session are available to view as follows:

• Opening address by Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber CEO Richard Stubbs
• Sponsor Welcome by Anna Rice, Director of Health System Engagement and Partnerships, Boehringer Ingelheim
• Keynote address by Sir James Mackey, CEO of NHS England
• Accelerating Transformation: Developing Effective NHS-Industry Partnerships – panel discussion
• Beyond the Clinical: How Digital Technology is Reshaping the Future of Health – panel discussion
• Patient Voice – Wendy Westoby
• Keynote address by Tom Riordab CBE, Second Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care (available soon)
• Innovator Showcase chaired by Tony Young OBE, National Clinical Lead for Innovation, NHS England (available soon)
• Innovate & Accelerate: The Role of Government and Independent Bodies in Driving Innovation Forward – panel discussion (available soon)

SAVE THE DATE: The next Health Innovation North conference takes place on 22 October 2026, at the Hilton Hotel Newcastle Gateshead.