Happy 70th Birthday: Health+Care show debates NHS' future

The 70th birthday of the NHS arrives on 5 July and experts at Health+Care 2018 are to debate whether the nation's health and social care system can survive at all in its current form and how to make it a happier anniversary for people aged 70+.

Care home owners visiting Health+Care 2018 on 27-28 June at London ExCel can hear the talk ‘Seventy Years of the NHS - where do we go from here?’.

Former health secretary Patricia Hewitt will join a panel of experts to debate what needs to be done to get a strong, sustainable health and social care system in Britain.

They are among the 400 speakers who will share their knowledge with care professionals attending Health+Care 2018.

While a growing elderly population wants excellent care, care home managers are keen to know how they can achieve it for their residents.

Nadra Ahmed , executive chairman at the National Care Association will discuss ‘Excellence in Care’ at the show’s Residential and Nursing Care Theatre. She will talk through how care professionals can remove obstacles to excellence and identify ways to improve their service further.

New sources of funding for care home owners

For care providers trying to find new sources of funding beyond the traditional borrowing from banks, a panel of financial experts will discuss ‘Sources of finance for social care businesses – What’s fundable and what’s available?’

Sources such as private equity and retail bonds will be discussed with experts outlining the sort of care projects receiving funding and the terms and conditions being offered.

Advice for care providers looking to reduce their recruitment agency spend, is available from Scott Sherriden, managing director at The Care Hub in his talk ‘How to reduce your recruitment agency spend and hire great talent fast’.

Elderly’s nutritional needs

‘Tackling increasing dietary and nutritional needs in older people’ is the name of a talk by Jonathan Amies, head of specialist nutrition at Apetito, which offers nutritious, sustainably sourced meals for older people.

He will discuss how to tackle the complex dietary and nutritional challenges of the elderly by engaging with experts to create innovative solutions. His talk will also cover the future of texture modified foods and how to create a dementia dining environment.

Other talks include sessions about outstanding care homes, market dynamics and how care homes can respond to change, banishing medication errors and ‘Managing Brexit – how can care businesses plan for leaving the EU’.

Key speakers include:

• Andrea Sutcliffe - chief inspector of adult social care at the Care Quality Commission.

• Norman Lamb - a former care minister and Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk.

• Martin Green - chief executive of Care England.

• Izzi Seccombe - chair of Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board.

Some 4,700 senior care professionals attended day one of Health+Care 2017 and the Care Home Awards.

A spokeswoman for Health+Care 2018 said: “The care sector has faced an unfathomable cut to spending, budgets are being slashed and struggling businesses are now on the brink of collapse.

“Health+Care will act as a safe haven for care businesses to collect vital information helping them to safeguard the future of their business so they don’t just survive but thrive. As a senior care professional, you are entitled to a complimentary pass to attend the event for free by signing up this week - saving you £899 + VAT”.

For a place at Health+Care 2018 visit: www.healthpluscare.co.uk/carehome