Futurologist and TV host join health chiefs for major city conference

Nicola Millard, a futurologist with BT, and Londonderry TV personality Joe Mahon, will join Health Minister Edwin Poots and every major health manager in Northern Ireland at the event in the Millennium Forum.

Dr Millard, who is a trained psychologist and describes her futurology role as studying the future, will discuss ‘Tomorrow’s World’ and ‘taking user involvement to a new level.’

Mr Mahon will be the after dinner speaker at a ‘transformational leadership dinner’ this evening (Wednesday).

Health and Social Care Board CEO, John Compton, Public Health Agency CEO Eddie Rooney, Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride, Western Health and Social Care Trust CEO Elaine Way and the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) Dr Andrew McCormick, will be amongst those in attendance.

The Northern Ireland Confederation for Health and Social Care (NICON) Annual Conference is billed as one of NI’s major flagship healthcare events.

Delegates will this year consider the theme: ‘Transforming Your Care: Transforming Our Practice.’

The event will be considering how the local health service will have to change for the future and how that change is going to be implemented.

A series of workshops will also be held considering how to provide high quality and more cost effective services; and how to meet the challenge of an ageing population and “provide and improve care and ensure people can live rich and rewarding lives into their old age.”

One of the workshops will look at how the voluntary and community sector could help develop ‘social enterprises’ to meet community health and well-being needs.

The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Stormont Health Committee, Sue Ramsey and Jim Wells will brief delegates on their recent fact-finding visit to Cuba.

Josep Carbo, Senior Manager at Accenture Spain, will also deliver an address on ‘Building Services Around Citizens’ based on ‘The Spanish Experience.’

Elisabetta Zanon of the NHS European office will deliver a paper on how to the lessons and opportunities from engagement with Europe.

The event will be introduced on Wednesday (March 6) morning by the Chairman of the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT), Gerard Guckian.

During the course of the event the PHA Chief, Mr Rooney will address delegates on how to keep people well for longer.

The Western Trust boss Ms Way and the NI CMO Mr McBride will also be asking “what are the lessons for new approaches in NI?”