HMI Annual Conference 2026

22 October (08.30 – 15.30)

The Concert Hall

RDS

Dublin 4

System Leadership–Driven Modernisation of Health and Social Care

The theme for our annual conference this year is “System Leadership–Driven Modernisation of Health and Social Care.”

As a concept, System Leadership refers to a collaborative approach to solving complex, system-wide issues of shared concern. At its core, the central tenet is that no one organisation or person can achieve all that is required. Traditional leadership styles are no longer sufficient on their own. Leadership is collective and distributed. It is relational, not merely a top-down exercise.

In the Irish context, this philosophy finds clear expression in Sláintecare and its programme of reform of our health and social care services, incorporating leadership, structural change, cultural change and transformation, and the shift to digital and data-based decision making.

Significant progress has been made since Sláintecare was first implemented. The Regional Health Areas are now operational, workforce reform and digital transformation are ongoing, and greater collaboration is happening across disciplines and systems. The recently launched Department of Health AI for Care and The Path to Universal Healthcare: Sláintecare & Programme for Government 2025+ outline the priorities of government in achieving universal healthcare and set out the next stage of the roadmap.

There is still some distance to travel and it is this journey that our conference will explore. Our speakers will examine the challenges that persist and explore the opportunities to do things differently. We will discuss the skills required of our managers and leaders as we evolve towards a more collaborative approach to solving critical, large-scale issues within our services.

Who should attend: