Conference Programme 2026

The CHA National Conference 2026

Thursday 7th and Friday 8th May | Delta Hotels by Marriott, Swindon

Community Hospitals: Integrating Care, Building Capacity

This is the only national event dedicated to community hospitals and hubs. Two days where the people doing the work come together to share what is happening on the ground, what is working and what needs to change.

If you work in or around community hospitals, this is the event for you.

Book your place today!

What makes this conference different?

It is built for you. The programme is led by people working in community hospitals - colleagues sharing what they have learned from running services, managing teams and delivering care. 

The conversations matter.  You will meet people doing similar work in other parts of the country. You will leave with contacts, ideas and a renewed sense that you are not working alone.

It covers what you actually need. Frailty. Same day emergency care. Dementia. End of life care. Workforce. Integrated neighbourhood teams. The sessions reflect what community hospital staff are dealing with every day.

Download the conference poster to share with your team here →

 

Plenary speakers

We are bringing together four national voices who understand community hospitals and can speak to where the sector is heading.

Dr Mary Miller – Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Clinical Lead for the National Audit of Care at the End of Life (NACEL)
What does the national audit tell us about care of the dying in community hospitals?

Professor Anne Hendry – Director, IFIC Hub in Scotland; Honorary Professor, University of the West of Scotland
Community Hospitals: making integrated care a reality across the globe

Ellen Rule – Chief Executive, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
Talk title to be confirmed

Julie Sharma – Recent Chief Executive, Sirona care & health
Talk title to be confirmed

Read more about our plenary speakers here →

Workshops – six sessions, real learning

You can attend up to six workshops across the two days. Each workshop runs twice so you get genuine choice about what you attend.

Topics include:

These are not academic presentations. They are sessions led by people doing the work, sharing what they have learned and what can be applied elsewhere.

See the full workshop list →

 

Continuing Professional Development

This conference provides structured CPD that supports NMC revalidation, HCPC requirements, AHP and nursing development frameworks and medical portfolios. You will attend up to six workshops over 1.5 days. The focus is practical: frailty, urgent care, end of life care, workforce and integrated working. Certificates will be issued after the event through Certifier as evidence of participation.

Many organisations send small teams so colleagues can reflect together and return with ideas that can be applied in their own services.

Need to make the case to your manager? Our CPD summary outlines the learning focus, intended outcomes and organisational benefit.

Download the CPD overview here →

Networking and connections

The 2024 conference was described by delegates as having "great energy and buzz" in the room, with networking highlighted as one of the strongest elements of the event. 

Between sessions you will have time to talk to colleagues from other parts of the country, visit exhibitors and share experience. Many delegates described this as the best part of the conference.

This conference exists to bring together a national network of people doing similar work and facing similar challenges.

"Best part was networking."
"Having plenty of time to network."
"It was fantastic to get to know our colleagues and I look forward to understanding where the other community hospitals are and how we can link up."

Read the full 2024 conference evaluation here →

 

Booking information

Member rate: £275
Non-member rate: £300

We encourage early booking as workshop places are limited and allocated on a first-come basis.

Book your place today!

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