In this thought-provoking session, Sir David Sloman draws on his four decades of NHS leadership experience to explore the global challenges facing healthcare systems today. With insights from his roles spanning hospital, regional and national levels, he examines how the NHS is responding to these challenges whilst offering an honest assessment: no country has yet found all the answers. Healthcare delivery remains complex everywhere.

1. Understanding the major global challenges facing healthcare systems and how they manifest across different countries and contexts  
2. Insights into the NHS response to current healthcare pressures, including lessons from pandemic management and system-wide transformation  
3. A realistic perspective on international healthcare comparisons, recognising that no single system offers a complete solution  
4. Strategic considerations for healthcare leaders navigating complexity at practice, regional and system level