Lansley announced as keynote at EHI Live

Health secretary Andrew Lansley will be the keynote speaker at this year’s EHI Live conference and exhibition, giving delegates the chance to get the big picture on government policy from the very top.

Lansley will be speaking at EHI Live 2012 in November, at the end of another turbulent year for the NHS.

Healthcare organisations are digesting the reforms unleashed by the ‘Liberating the NHS’ white paper and the subsequent Health and Social Care Bill, which finally cleared Parliament in May.

At the same time, they are dealing with the demands of the ‘Nicholson challenge’ to generate £20 billion of efficiency savings by the end of 2014-15, and considering the implications of the NHS information strategy, which promises far more information for clinicians and patients.

Linda Davidson, one of the co-founders and directors of eHealth Insider, said: “EHI Live 2012 will be a unique opportunity for the e-health community to get the big picture on government policy from the health secretary himself.

"Health secretary Andrew Lansley has been closely associated with the latest reforms of the NHS.

"He has also taken a real interest in the impact of IT and information on the health service, as shown by his support for the EHI CCIO Campaign and the CCIO Leaders Network, which will have its own stream at the event.”

EHI Live 2012 will be held at the NEC in Birmingham from 6-7 November. The event comprises a paid-for conference and a free exhibition that includes feature areas such as the best-practice showcase of good work being done by trusts around the country.

Other confirmed speakers for the conference include Mike Farrar, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, who has emerged as a strong proponent of investment in IT to help trusts meet the policy and business demands on them.

Delegates will be able to hear from Mark Davies, the medical director of the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which is destined to receive many of the functions carried out by NHS Connecting for Health, as well as playing a key role in the NHS’ open data agenda.

Davidson said: “This year’s conference programme will bring delegates up to date with the very latest developments in the national IT agenda, and what they mean for NHS managers and IT departments.

“The exhibition will also give visitors an opportunity to see the very latest IT on offer, and to hear from trusts that are pioneering its use to make a difference for clinicians and patients.”

This week, EHI released a video of the highlights of last year’s event, which attracted more than 2,500 attendees and more than 110 exhibitors. The video gives a flavour of what you can expect from this year’s event. 

EHI Live 2012 is the essential two day conference and exhibition where the eHealth community meets. The show will take at the NEC, Birmingham on 6-7 November 2012.

Information pertaining to booking a stand, last year's attendance statistics and visitor registration details can all be found on the EHI Live 2012 website.