Guidance for policy discussion submissions

We are inviting proposals from organisations across the health and care sector to deliver policy discussion sessions at NHS Health and Care Expo 2027.  These panels will take place in large breakout rooms, and will focus on broad policy topics appealing to a wide range of delegates.


We aim to provide a rich programme covering a diverse range of perspectives and are seeking proposals that showcase high quality learning and insights, which can be shared with the 7,000+ delegates we expect on site in Manchester on 16 and 17 June 2027.


There are a limited number of sessions available, and we are likely to receive many more submissions than we can accommodate. Please make your application clear, highlighting what makes your session unique and the value it will bring to our delegates. If you have a communications lead in your organisation, we encourage you to contact them to flag your application and involve them in drafting your submission. 


To submit your proposal, please read the details below and then fill out our submission form.  


Please note:

  • The NHS Health and Care Expo team hold final editorial control on all sessions, including the ability to add or request changes to speakers.
  • This call for submissions is not intended for commercial organisations or organisations with a large turnover.[1] We have a range of sponsored packages available if you are interested in delivering a session at NHS Health and Care Expo 2027. Please contact our Partnerships and Sponsorship team for more details.
  • We are looking for tangible examples of real people improving the NHS and wider health sector. Feel free to use AI software to refine your application, but bear in mind that if your submission appears to be entirely written by AI, it will count against your submission during the review process. AI is a tool and should not be used to replace careful session planning.

Checklist before submitting your proposal

Have a careful read of the proposal submission checklist. Once you are satisfied that you have fulfilled all the requirements below, you are ready to submit!

  • I have checked my organisation is eligible to submit a proposal. (Note: If you are unsure if your organisation classes as high income-generating, please email sessions@thenhsalliance.org)
  • I have flagged this submission internally with communications colleagues and relevant senior leaders within my organisation.
  • I have clearly defined how delegates will benefit from my session.
  • I have confirmed my proposed speakers are available on 16 and 17 June 2027 and are able to travel to Manchester.
  • I have ensured my proposed speakers represent diverse perspectives and backgrounds, in terms of protected characteristics as well as organisation/role types.
  • I have considered how the patient voice will be represented in my session.
  • I have checked that my team has the capacity to deliver to the timelines outlined in this guidance document.

What we're looking for

This guidance is specifically for the open call for submissions for policy discussion sessions at NHS Health and Care Expo 2027. Other session formats will be commissioned via other routes. You can apply to run a good practice sharing session here, and suggest ideas for main stage sessions here.

Policy discussions

  • 40-minute panel sessions focused on broad policy topics
  • Theatre-style layout
  • A non-negotiable maximum of four speakers, including the session chair (this means a maximum of four people on stage)
  • An expectation of 5-10 minutes of delegate Q&A as part of the 40-minute slot
  • Held in breakout rooms (200-300 delegate capacity)

Speakers

We expect your panel of speakers to be:

  • Diverse and inclusive – providing different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences
  • Highly knowledgeable, subject matter experts
  • Respected for their breadth of experience
  • Compelling and able to connect with the audience and present their ideas clearly
  • Available on both 16 and 17 June 2027, and able to travel to Manchester

Speakers must be approached prior to their inclusion in your proposal. If your submission does not include speakers who have consented to being included in the proposal, our reviewers cannot accurately assess the potential of your application. For a template email to approach speakers, please click here.

Timelines and key deadlines

The strict deadline for submissions is 5pm on 15 January 2027. Submissions received after this time will not be reviewed.

There is no flexibility in the timelines and deadlines for session development. Please only submit a proposal if your team has the capacity to deliver to the timelines outlined.

For the full timeline, including when you will hear back and the key dates for successful sessions, see Timelines and deadlines.

Conference themes

  • Finance and productivity
  • Leadership and workforce
  • Neighbourhood and local integration
  • NHS architecture and operating model
  • NHS and society
  • Population health and prevention
  • Quality and improvement
  • Technology and innovation

[1] The NHS Health and Care Expo team classes large turnover as over £50 million for charities, and over £10 million for social enterprises. This call for submissions is not intended for companies; any submissions from commercials will be redirected to the NHS Alliance’s Partnerships and Sponsorship colleagues to discuss sponsored opportunities to deliver content.

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