I spent yesterday at the Healthcare Summit, surrounded by colleagues and partners from across the sector including providers, commissioners, clinicians, policymakers and innovators. It was an energising reminder of just how much passion and expertise exists within health and social care, and also how much alignment there really is when you strip away the noise.
Everyone in that room wants the same thing: better outcomes for people, more stability for the system, and a sector that genuinely values and supports the workforce that makes it all possible. The discussions were thoughtful, sometimes challenging, and importantly honest.
What stood out most to me was that the solutions we need are already here. We’re not waiting for a new policy or a grand redesign. Across the UK, there are countless examples of providers, NHS partners and local authorities quietly doing things differently and making them work.
When social care and health genuinely collaborate, outcomes improve. When we trust and invest in frontline leaders, teams stay longer and deliver better. When we measure success by independence, wellbeing and quality of life, not just bed days or activity, we see real progress.
The biggest challenge remains the same: time and headspace. We all know what good looks like, but the pace of firefighting too often gets in the way of embedding it. That’s where leadership and partnership matter most, creating the space for reflection, for innovation, and for acting with intent rather than urgency.
There was also a lot of discussion about technology and data with much of it encouraging. The consensus was clear: digital tools should reduce friction, not create more of it. If a system doesn’t make life easier for a carer, nurse or manager, then it’s not the right system. Technology should serve people, not the other way round.
For me, the takeaway from the Summit was simple: this is a sector full of dedicated, skilled people who care deeply about doing the right thing. The task ahead isn’t to reinvent the wheel, it’s to connect the dots, scale what already works, and ensure that every conversation about funding, reform or innovation starts with one question: does this make life better for the person receiving care?
If we can keep that question at the centre of every decision, the rest will follow.
Tony Stein, Chief Executive, HCMS
