The Chief Nursing Officer for England outlines some key leadership sessions at Expo 2017:

Nursing, midwifery and care staff, whatever their role, wherever they work can all lead change and add value across the health and care system.

Since the launch of Leading Change, Adding Value (LCAV); a framework for nursing, midwifery and care staff in May 2016, we have seen how staff across the country, despite the pressures they face, are embracing the ten commitments and demonstrating how important their leadership role is to reduce unwarranted variation and deliver the Triple Aim outcomes: better outcomes, experiences and use of resources.

Early findings show that LCAV is being seen as complementing other work that uses a measure and improve approach. One year on there is still much we can do and a dedicated pop up university session at this year’s Health and Care Innovation Expo will certainly help with this crucial journey.

It will feature some strong examples highlighting how nursing, midwifery and care staff are applying LCAV improvement methodology to work differently and innovatively to lead change, improving outcomes and experience for individuals.

We all know there is an incredible amount of work happening over the next couple of years. Nursing, midwifery and care staff are central to this and offer us an opportunity to truly demonstrate what we bring to the table.

The Next Steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View outlines four crucial programmes to help transform the provision of care: Cancer, Mental Health, Primary Care and Urgent and Emergency Care. Maternity and Transforming Care for people with Learning Disabilities are also key priorities.

Nursing leadership is well represented in all of these areas and at Expo and I will be leading a main stage session on the importance of nurse leadership in transforming care for individuals with mental health issues and learning disabilities.

Many of you will know I am the National Director Sponsor for the Learning Disability Programme which has three overarching aims.

The first is to ensure fewer people with a learning disability are cared for in hospital. We have already made some significant progress on this but our continued focus is to ensure we have more people being appropriately cared for within the community.

The second is to maintain a focus on ensuring those who do need to be cared for in hospital aren’t there for longer than they need to be and, thirdly, to make sure people get good, quality care and support in both hospitals and the community.

I am pleased that Vicky Stobbart, Executive Director of Nursing and Quality, Guildford and Waverley CCG will join me and a panel of experts to discuss the reality of current challenges, as well as significant opportunities that lie ahead, focusing on the role of nurses to transform care.

The national mental health plan and associated increases in people treated is also very challenging but needed. There has never been a more important time to work in Mental Health.

I am delighted that Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s National Mental Health Director, will join the panel to highlight the significant leadership role of nursing and care staff to improve outcomes for individuals with mental health issues and their vital contribution in the delivery of the Mental Health Forward View.

Sustainability and Transformation Plans across the country all feature the importance of mental health so it is vital that all nursing and care staff contribute to and shape how services are delivered in future.

I am very pleased that we have a specific focus on General Practice Nursing this year, as part of the Primary Care feature zone.

The newly published ten point plan includes key actions to transform general practice nursing by 2020. I am pleased to be leading the investment of £15 million in the GPN workforce, which was developed in partnership with ALB colleagues and has addressed the evidence that shows us the pressure this vital group of our profession continues to be under in relation to recruitment, training and the image of primary care nursing.

The nursing section of this feature zone will focus on the importance of the GPN workforce and how we will help develop capacity, capability and confidence.

Other sessions at Expo range from the importance of carers and enabling them to support family and friends, and a session on Safeguarding and the important role all NHS staff play in safeguarding vulnerable individuals across all NHS settings.

A main stage session for the Maternity Transformation Programme will also demonstrate the fundamentally important role of midwives and the wider team in transforming the delivery of maternity services of the future.

Expo will also stage the Kate Granger Awards for Compassionate Care, demonstrating how individuals, teams and organisations across the country are delivering truly inspirational care.

I strongly encourage you to take part in a number of diverse and extremely useful sessions at Expo highlighting the power of nursing, midwifery and care leadership to truly improve outcomes and add value to patients and individuals we care for.