The government’s 10 year health plan, published in July 2025, centres on three key shifts: from treating sickness to prevention, hospitals to local communities and analogue to digital services. Technology and innovation play a crucial role.   

With delivery of the plan in full flow, the NHS landscape will look very different come spring 2026 when Digital Health Rewired 2026 takes place. Running on 24–25 March at the Birmingham NEC, the conference will bring together NHS leaders, digital teams, innovators and start-ups to shape the next decade of digital healthcare. 

The UK’s largest digital health expo will welcome over 4,000 attendees including digital leaders such as chief clinical information officers (CCIOs), chief information officers (CIOs), and chief nursing information officers (CNIOs), NHS IT and industry professionals.   

Key topics for healthcare in 2026  

There will be 10 stages dedicated to discussions and panel debates inspired by the three shifts of the 10 year health plan, with areas dedicated to Digital Transformation, Integrated Care, Digital Leadership, Data and Digital, Digital Frontline, Cyber and Infrastructure, Best Practice, and EPR Implementation and Optimisation.  

The seismic impact of AI will come under the spotlight, such as the transformation of surgery with AI and robotics, the early days of ambient scribing, and the risks, responsibilities, and opportunities presented by the technology. The risks presented by interoperability and the lessons learned from cyber threats and attacks will also fall under the spotlight. 

Perspectives from across policy, research and patient advocacy will also shape the programme, including big name speakers: Dr Jennifer Dixon DBE, CEO of The Health Foundation, Professor Ben Goldacre of the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science, Professor Gillian Leng of the Royal Society of Medicine, Rachel Power of The Patients Association. 

Showcasing the best of NHS IT leadership  

The conference programme is being shaped and represented by members of the Digital Health Networks, the UK’s largest connected community of digital health professionals. 

The all-female panel of Network chairs, who lead the national chief clinical information officer (CCIO), chief information officer (CIO) and chief nursing information officer (CNIO) advisory panels have been confirmed to speak on the new Digital Leadership stage.  

Attendees will hear from digital pacesetters Hayley Grafton, the CNIO at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust; Amy Freeman, chief digital information officer at University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust; and Penny Kechagioglou Kechagioglou, CCIO at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.  

Also confirmed are NHS CIOs Kate Warriner of Alder Hey, Beverley Bryant of Dorset Providers, Paul Jones of Leeds Teaching Hospitals, and William Monaghan of Leicester and Northamptonshire NHS. They will share lessons from regional transformation, large-scale EPR modernisation, shared product development, and approaches to sustaining digital investment under financial pressure. 

How are NHS CEOs and national leaders tackling digital challenges? 

Three prominent university trust chief executives who are betting big on digital as part of their organisational strategy will present their views from the top. Professor Andy Hardy of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, Siobhan Harrington of University Hospitals Dorset, and Jonathan Brotherton of University Hospitals Birmingham, will discuss how they are leading digital transformation across large and complex organisations. 

National perspectives will come from three of NHS England’s most senior digital and clinical leaders. Dr Minal Bakhai, Director for Primary Care and Community Transformation, will outline the shift toward neighbourhood-based, digitally enabled care. Dr Alec Price-Forbes, National Chief Clinical Information Officer for England, will set out priorities for improving patient care through digital tools, shared records, and interoperability. Helen Balsdon, National Chief Nursing Information Officer, will discuss the evolving role of digital nurses, clinical safety, and preparing the workforce for the growing use of AI and genomics. 

How can the NHS scale AI responsibly across services? 

The UK is aiming to become a world leader in AI-enabled healthcare. But how can this generational technology be deployed responsibly and at scale? The two-day dedicated AI stage will explore how health and care can harness artificial intelligence safely, ethically, and effectively. 

Expert speakers include Professor Alastair Denniston, the chair of the new UK National Commission on the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, he will oversee a new regulatory framework for safe AI adoption, and tackle how to integrate technologies such as AVT and AI for radiology, pathology and remote monitoring into frontline care. 

Dr Jessica Morley is a postdoctoral research associate at the Digital Ethics Center, Yale University, and is recognised internationally as a leading voice on digital ethics in healthcare. The former government advisor turned academic is on a mission to ensure healthcare systems capitalise on the opportunities of better use of data, whilst mitigating ethical harms. 

Hutan Ashrafian of Harbinger Health will discuss data, analytics, AI governance and patient-centred digital transformation whilst Dr Charlotte Refsum, Director of Health Policy at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, returns to explore what the NHS must prioritise to prepare for an AI-enabled decade and the data foundations required for prevention-focused care. 

Rewired 2026 registration is free for the NHS, public sector, charities, research, and education, with commercial tickets starting from £769 plus VAT. Book your place and join the community shaping the next decade of the NHS digital future.