Leaders from higher education, healthcare, public and private sectors gathered at The Spine in Liverpool this week (18 November 2024) for the University of Liverpool’s annual Vice-Chancellor’s Conference.
With a focus on The Future of Healthcare, the 2024 conference featured a keynote talk from Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham.
Lord Darzi’s Independent investigation of the NHS in England released in September this year assessed patient access, quality of care and the overall performance of the health system and highlighted significant inequalities.
During the event, Lord Darzi set out the major themes for the forthcoming 10-year health plan. He said: “It’s an honour to have been invited to present at today’s conference hosted by a great University in an amazing city. This discussion on the future of healthcare comes at a time when there has never been a greater need to consider the future of our national health system, nor a greater appetite for change.”
Other speakers included Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of the King’s Fund, Dr Kath McKay, Chief Scientific Officer for Bruntwood SciTech, Graham Urwin, Chief Executive of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, James Sumner, Chief Executive of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool.
Professor Tim Jones said: “Today’s Conference exemplifies the role that the University of Liverpool plays as a convenor of debate in Liverpool City Region and its commitment to place and innovation, as reflected in our Liverpool 2031 strategy.
“It has been a privilege to bring together key national, regional and local stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the future of UK healthcare, and how Liverpool City Region can advance its leading role in health innovation.”
The Vice-Chancellor also spoke about the University of Liverpool’s plans with NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, to establish an Academic Health Sciences Campus on the site of the former Royal Liverpool University Hospital. The two institutions are seeking to build on their long-standing collaboration for the benefit of patients, students and the people of the region. The Campus would enable new opportunities for interprofessional learning, thereby enhancing students’ clinical understanding and professional development within the context of a clinical team, and feature flexible teaching spaces, clinical teaching and simulation facilities supported by state-of-the-art IT to train students to be part of a workforce that will increasingly use robotics, artificial intelligence and data.
In partnership with North West NHS trusts, who provide vital placement opportunities to Liverpool students, the new Campus will also help to answer challenges laid out in the NHS Workforce Plan, the biggest recruitment drive in health service history.
The Campus will be part of Health Innovation Liverpool, a transformational hub of healthcare and medical innovation. Find out more here.
Professor Louise Kenny, Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool said: “It’s inspiring to be here today as we look to the future of healthcare with colleagues from across our region and beyond. The University of Liverpool’s ambitions to redefine the relationship between academia, healthcare, industry and local community through Health Innovation Liverpool are a key part of our vision. Central to these plans are our proposals for an Academic Health Sciences Campus with the NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool group – which aims to benefit students, patients, staff, and collaborators alike.”