Learning from experiences: the person centred care symposium 2025

Begin your day in a relaxed, engaging atmosphere. Enjoy refreshments and network with peers, setting the stage for a day of collaborative learning and transformative insights.

Angela’s opening remarks set an inspiring tone, underscoring the importance of person centred values as the foundation for the day.

Angela was the first Chief Executive of Picker Institute Europe from 2000-8. Improving people’s experience of care and involving them in decisions has been a strong theme throughout her career and she is well-known as a writer and speaker on these topics. Her previous roles included Director of Policy and Development at the King’s Fund, Director of the Health Services Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Director of Global Initiatives at the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation and Honorary Professor at the University of Southern Denmark. 

Samira’s session will share how actionable insights from patient and public input can transform care delivery, providing practical strategies to foster genuine engagement, improve health and reduce health inequalities.

Samira is a leading advocate for patient empowerment with extensive experience in bridging the gap between policy and lived experiences. An award winner for her work in developing sustainable communities and developing digital health solutions to improve patient experience measures amongst people with learning disabilities, Samira’s session will showcase the power effectively putting public health principles into practice.

Alf’s insights will challenge conventional approaches and inspire you to adopt progressive, patient centred methods that anticipate the needs of tomorrow’s healthcare landscape.

Alf is a forward-thinking strategist and policy expert whose work focuses on the evolution of care practices. Alf has honorary fellowships from the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners and a Visiting Professorship in Healthcare Policy at Coventry University.  

Engage directly with our expert speakers. Ask questions, share experiences, and contribute to a collaborative discussion that will influence care models locally, nationally and internationally.

Together Chris and Mirek will demonstrate real world approaches that support you to translate lived experiences into powerful quality improvement strategies, making your services more responsive, efficient and person centred. 

• Chris Graham 
  Picker’s current Chief Executive Officer, Chris is an internationally renowned expert in understanding and measuring people’s care experiences. With over 20 years experience, Chris has been instrumental in developing both national and local experience collections across the NHS. He continues to act as an expert advisor on the CQC National Patient Experience Programmes, the NHSE Staff survey and to Picker partners around the world.  

• Mirek Skrypak 
  Mirek brings a wealth of knowledge in data-driven healthcare innovation, specialising in leveraging experience insights to drive measurable outcomes. He has a track record in the expert delivery of improvement programmes and services across clinical and academic organisations and is the current Director of Quality Improvement at NELFT NHS Foundation Trust.  

Their session explores the transformative power of personal stories in healthcare, offering you fresh insights into how narrative evidence can drive meaningful organisational change. 

• James Munro 
  James is the current CEO of Care Opinion, hie is a passionate storyteller and healthcare commentator whose work highlights the critical impact of personal narratives on policy and practice. 

• Anna Tee 
  Anna is a seasoned advocate for human-centred care, renowned for her expertise in using narrative accounts to influence and improve service delivery. 

Networking and Nourishment:

Enjoy a catered lunch and use this time to connect with fellow leaders and innovators. Exchange ideas, build relationships, and expand your professional network in an informal setting. 

This intimate session explores how active listening and honest dialogue between staff and patients can restore humanity in healthcare, enriching both care experiences and service outcomes. It will leave you both inspired through the power effective communication and equipped with practical strategies to implement these approaches across your organisation  

• Rebecca Myers 
  Rebecca is a distinguished facilitator with deep roots in healthcare practice improvement, particularly in fostering empathetic communication. 

• Aggie Rice 
  Aggie is an expert in reflective practice and staff well-being, recognised for her work in creating compassionate care environments. 

This session offers cutting-edge strategies for forming genuine partnerships with patients and the public, ensuring that your services are both effective and responsive to community voices.

• Victoria Thomas (Chair) 
  Victoria is a seasoned leader in co-production initiatives, with a strong track record in aligning healthcare services with community needs. 

• Kim Rezel 
  Kim is a recognised expert in patient engagement, celebrated for her innovative approaches to collaborative service design. 

• Emma Sparrow 
  Emma specialises in community empowerment in healthcare, bringing practical experience in co-creating solutions that reflect public needs. 

Kate and Janine’s session highlights how to utilise the insights of your workforce to enhance service delivery, improve staff well-being, and ultimately create a more responsive care system. 

• Kate Jarman 

Kate is a leader in workforce development with a profound understanding of frontline challenges. Her work has empowered healthcare teams to drive service improvements from within. 

• Janine La Rosa

Janine is Chief People Officer at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. She has previously held various senior NHS roles including Strategic Head of Equality and Inclusion for the NHS in London and Co-Director of the COVID Legacy and Equity Partnership. Providing leadership and expertise for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), staff engagement and tackling health inequalities. 

In this powerful closing session, Dan will share real-world lessons from Grenfell, underscoring the transformative impact of empathy and resilience. Conclude your day with insights that inspire lasting change in your organisation.

Dan is an influential healthcare thought leader with a deep commitment to learning from adversity. His work at The King’s Fund has been pivotal in promoting person centred practice, resilience and compassionate care to support better service outcomes for all.