A leadership conference designed to inspire NHS and university leaders through innovation and equality has taken place at Bournemouth University (BU).
BU and University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD) co-delivered the event, focussing on leadership and the role leaders can play in driving improvement. The two organisations were joined by several partners from across the region, with plenty of opportunities to network and build connections throughout the day.
The event was opened by BU’s new Vice-Chancellor Professor Alison Honour, alongside Robert Whiteman CBE, Chairman of UHD, and Siobhan Harrington, CEO of UHD.
Sessions included keynotes on leading for improvement by Wendy Korthuis-Smith of the Virginia Mason Institute, with Neil Griffin, Associate Director of Improvement at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust providing examples of how improvements in his trust were made through a long-term focus on people and culture to drive success.
Professor Habib Naqvi MBE, Director of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, led a discussion on racial inequalities in health and the ways in which inclusive leaders can challenge these inequalities through being comfortable with addressing the uncomfortable in the work they do.
An eye-opening presentation on artificial intelligence was given by Ajay Chowdhury, Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group, looking at the fast-paced technological change and the need for leaders to balance opportunities for innovation with ethical governance in their own contexts.
Paul Chandler, Head of Net Zero Travel and Transport, Greener NHS, and talked to leaders about climate change, and specifically the responsibility that leaders, particularly in healthcare, have towards driving innovation in sustainability.
Professor Lois Farquharson, Executive Dean of the Business School and chair of the BU-UHD Partnership Steering Group, said, “As leaders, it is important to take time away to think and strategize about these important issues we’ve been looking at today. Meaningful changes in health inequalities and climate change will only happen when leaders are mindful about how their own actions can help support change.
“It was a pleasure to be able to co-lead this event with our partners from UHD, as a space for leaders to explore such issues, and to be inspired by the wonderful speakers throughout the day. It was invaluable to spend time together considering our own leadership responsibilities and how we can be the best possible leaders for our organisations to help deliver long-term success. We thank everyone involved in making the day such a success, particularly our partners at UHD for all their hard work throughout the day.”
Timo Peach, Climate Futures Artist at Momo Tempo, finished the day with a focus towards the future, helping attendees to think about what excites them in their work, the power of storytelling, the privilege of leading people and how we must all work together across organisations, teams and departments, utilising the best of the specialist knowledge across organisations, to collectively deliver success. Timo also linked leadership to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) as a driver for delivering change.
The two organisations have worked in official partnership for over three years, sharing knowledge and best practice across both organisations for the benefit of staff, students, patients and the local community, with further collaborative events planned to continue in this work.
For more information about the partnership, visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/university-hospitals-dorset
