Simon Burns, Minister of State for Health, has been invited to deliver the keynote speech on 1 November at this year’s IHEEM Conference in Manchester. MP for Chelmsford from June 1987 – April 1997, for West Chelmsford from May 1997 to April 2010, and elected as Chelmsford’s MP once again at last year’s General Election, the Minister has been active in politics since 1970.
A political adviser to Sally Oppenheim MP from 1975-1980, he spent three years as a business journalist from 1980-1983, and, from 1983-1987, was on the Institute of Directors’ Policy Executive. Earlier in his career he worked for Senator George McGovern in his presidential bid against Richard Nixon, and, in December 2007 and January 2008, spent 10 days working on Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign in the New Hampshire Primary. In September 2001 he was appointed Shadow Health Minister and, since May 2010, has been Minister of State at the Department of Health. He was also a member of the House of Commons Health Select Committee from 1999-2005. With current-day responsibility for legislation, NHS performance, and health services and reconfiguration, he has recently been heavily involved in the Government’s reading of the new Health and Social Care Bill. Meanwhile the organisers of this year’s IHEEM conference (see also Call for Proposals news story on page 6) say that, with Government announcements suggesting unprecedented emphasis will be placed, in future, on the quality of the patient/client experience as NHS and private hospitals, clinics, and other facilities, compete for patients, the contribution of those challenged with delivering the estate and the non-clinical services needed to maintain these environments will be more important than ever. Reflecting this, the conference content will seek to appeal to a wider audience – with a broader scope of presentations, and excellent opportunities to meet and discuss projects with colleagues in both the acute and primary healthcare sectors. This year’s conference theme is “Improving Healthcare Outcomes through Innovation: Making It Happen”, and, having recently launched a “Call for Proposals”, the organisers are particularly keen to receive papers from professionals working in acute and primary healthcare facilities focusing on best practice and encouraging quality, sustainability, and safety. New conference themes will include:
• Quality improvements through productivity.
• Achieving performance through innovation.
• Governance of healthcare.
• Evidence-based decision-making.
The accompanying Healthcare Estates exhibition, expected to feature over 170 exhibitors, is the UK’s most complete of its kind. Paul Kingsmore, IHEEM President, said: “The Institute is committed to delivering a conference programme that addresses the key issues we all face in our everyday jobs. It also challenges all of us to think differently and be open to new ideas. In the rapidly changing healthcare climate, including the migration of care to community and non-public providers and groupings, it is vital that all those involved with the healthcare estate and built environment keep engaged with leading ideas. IHEEM addresses the issues that matter; I personally endorse the conference to all those working in, or for, healthcare, and look forward to welcoming Simon Burns and all delegates to Manchester on the 1st and 2nd November.”
