Private patients
Thu 7 May 2026 08:30-17:10
St George’s Church, Leeds, 6 CPD hours

Network with NHS private patient leaders from across the country and benchmark your PPU strategy 

Hosted by The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, this focused national forum brings together PPU managers, finance and operational leads, and clinicians to share what’s working in practice, benchmark your approach and tackle common challenges head-on. Through real-world case studies, expert insight and dedicated networking time, you will leave with fresh strategies to improve your commercial decision-making, strengthen insurer relationships and build a more sustainable and confident private patient service within your trust.

With thanks to our sponsors Pharmacierge & Streets Heaver.

  

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NHS Private Patients National Networking Forum 2026
Face-to-face 6 CPD hours £49+VAT

Driving NHS PPU growth

Book your place at this must-attend national forum, designed specifically for NHS private patient leaders. This is a great opportunity for you to strengthen your profitability, governance and long-term development within your unit. Join peers from across the country to explore how to:

  • Run your PPU as a commercially sustainable service within an NHS system
  • Strengthen financial governance, compliance and cost recovery
  • Navigate capital investment and partnership decisions with confidence
  • Improve pricing, tariff negotiation and insurer relationships
  • Increase income without compromising NHS priorities or values
  • Tackle cultural barriers and secure executive buy-in for growth
  • Leverage digital, AI and marketing strategies to enhance patient experience and performance
  • Learn from leading trusts’ real-world PPU development journeys

Hosted by Leeds Teaching Hospitals PPU

Plus, there is a great opportunity to be part of the interactive concept walk through of the designs for The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Private Patient Unit.


Shape and develop your PPU

Through interactive panel sessions, case study-led presentations and dedicated networking time, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Meet the insurers: hear directly from leading insurers on priorities, expectations and partnership working, with time to ask questions and explore real challenges face-to-face 
  • Learn from trusts in practice: gain insight from how other NHS PPUs are strengthening governance, pricing, business cases and commercial delivery to drive sustainable growth 
  • Benchmark your approach nationally: understand how other organisations are responding to regulatory, financial and cultural barriers to private patient development
  • Take part in facilitated peer discussion: share ideas on improving capacity, increasing income and building momentum. Leave with practical solutions you can apply within your own trust

With thanks to our sponsors

SBK would like to thank Pharmacierge and Streets Heaver for sponsoring this educational forum.

Attend as a sponsor

SBK Healthcare forums are designed to enable industry providers to support healthcare professionals. We are pleased to be inviting sponsors for this forum. If this is something you would be interested in exploring please email Vanessa.Pearce@sbk-healthcare.co.uk or call Vanessa on 01732 897788 to find out about all the engagement and branding opportunities available in the full sponsorship package.

8:30
Registration, networking and refreshments
9:00
Welcome, chair’s opening remarks and introduction
Beth Barron, Director of Operations, Leeds teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
National update
9:10
Exploring financial, regulatory and capital governance with NHS private patient units
  • Understanding risk management and governance requirements for private patient activity
  • Optimising drug and consumables procurement and tariff negotiation
  • Ensuring robust collaboration with insurers
  • Evaluating and reviewing capital approaches for a profitable PPU: risks and limitations explored
Katherine Francis-Browne, Senior Finance Manager, Income Delivery and Cost Recovery Team, Financial Oversight and Delivery Directorate, NHS England
Increasing profitability in your PPU
9:40
Running your PPU as a commercial business inside a non-commercial NHS system
  • Turning your PPU into a sustainable commercial operation within NHS constraints
  • Navigating pricing and profitability and understanding why many services can lose money
  • What ‘good’ commercial decision-making looks like in an NHS context
Jo Johnson, Head of Nursing, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
10:10
Questions and answers with your speakers
Industry spotlight
10:20
Sponsored presentations with Pharmacierge
10:30
Sponsored presentations with Streets Heaver
10:40
Sponsored presentations opportunity
10:50
Questions and answers with your sponsors
11:00
Networking break
11:20
Interactive discussion: Strengthening governance and commercial decision-making in your PPU
  • How robust are your current governance, risk and compliance arrangements for private patient activity, and where are your biggest financial or regulatory vulnerabilities?
  • How are you ensuring pricing, procurement and tariff negotiation decisions are commercially sound, and where might services be running at a loss?
  • What practical steps can you take in the next 6–12 months to strengthen insurer collaboration, improve cost recovery and support more sustainable PPU growth?
Leeds PPU showcase
11:40
Leeds private patient unit update: progress, development and maintaining momentum
  • Exploring the infrastructure, operational and governance developments
  • Overcoming barriers to delivery: capital availability, trust priorities and governance processes
  • Getting governance and contracts with patients and consultants right
  • Addressing lessons learnt for NHS PPU developments
Beth Barron, Director of Operations, Leeds teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
12:10
Building your business case: securing executive buy-in for your NHS PPU
  • How to structure a business case to align with trust strategy, priorities and objectives
  • Understanding what executives are looking for: risk governance, capital and deliverability
  • Adapting proposals to meet expectations and securing engagement and support
Beth Barron, Director of Operations, Leeds teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
12:40
Questions and answers with your speakers
12:50
Networking lunch
1:50
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust PPU Concept Walkthrough
Driving growth in your PPU
2:20
How to increase your PPU income without cutting costs
  • Identity how your PPU can maximise income: recognizing existing capacity and opportunities
  • Understanding how to improve engagement and drive PPU growth
  • Removing barriers that can limit private income within your NHS organisation
Emma Aherne, Private Patient Manager, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
2:50
Questions and answers with your speaker
2:55
Interactive discussion: Optimising your NHS PPU growth and development
  • How does your trust view your PPU activity? How are you working to overcome cultural barriers to growth?
  • What has worked for you to gain executive buy in to support your PPU growth?
  • How much of your activity is consultant-led demand versus growth planning and how has this worked in practice?
  • What are your growth priorities for the next 12 months? How will you deliver them in practice?
Working with insurers
3:15
Panel presentation: Building strong, collaborative partnerships with insurers
  • Each insurance provider will have 5-minutes to provide key update and developments with attendees
Chris Gilbert, Provider Management Director, Vitality
3:30
Questions and answers with your insurers panel
3:40
Networking break and meet the insurers
  • Your insurance representatives will remain at their table throughout the afternoon break to enable you to drop in and ask your specific questions
Meeting compliance requirements
4:00
CMA and financial compliance: PHIN submissions, governance and getting it right
  • Understanding CMA requirements and the purpose of PHIN submissions
  • Key data required to ensure accurate, timely and auditable PHIN reporting
  • Improving compliance readiness: internal ownership, validation checks and common reporting risks
Megan Dunaway, Hospital Engagement Lead, Private Healthcare Information Network
Developing a marketing strategy
4:15
Marketing NHS private patient units: building trust, visibility and engagement
  • How to promote services aligned with NHS values and expectations
  • Identifying key audience and decision makers: tailoring your messaging
  • Practicalities of developing a realistic, low-cost marketing approach
4:45
Questions and answers with your speakers
4:55
Close of day

Confirmed speakers to-date:

Beth Barron
Job Title:
Director of Operations
Organisation
Leeds teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Biography

A strategic and transformational healthcare leader with over 23 years in the NHS and over 10 years of senior management experience across both NHS and PPU services. Previously serving as the Private Patient Manager in Harrogate, where I led the successful development of a dedicated private patient unit over three years—enhancing patient experience and expanding service capacity.

Subsequently appointed as Director of Operations at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, overseeing a broad and complex portfolio including Oncology, Abdominal Medicine & Surgery, Trauma Services, Radiology, and Pathology. I played a key role in the integration and relocation of services into a state-of-the-art Central Pathology Unit—driving clinical efficiency and service cohesion.

Now spearheading the transformation of Leeds’ private healthcare model, I am committed to delivering high-quality, sustainable services that generate reinvestment into NHS care—supporting long-term system resilience and improved patient outcomes.
Katherine Francis-Browne
Job Title:
Senior Finance Manager, Income Delivery and Cost Recovery Team, Financial Oversight and Delivery Directorate
Organisation
NHS England
Biography

With over ten years of experience in the NHS and a proven track record of delivering value in the commercial sector, Katherine has dedicated her NHS career to delivering results, particularly in cost recovery, overseas visitors, and the private patient’s space.

Her work has focused on improving patient outcomes, maximising cost recovery, and optimising income opportunities by working with NHS Trusts to improve operational processes. Katherine works closely with senior stakeholders from across government organisations and is an active member of HMT cross-government debt group.
Jo Johnson
Job Title:
Head of Nursing
Organisation
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Biography
Emma Aherne
Job Title:
Private Patient Manager
Organisation
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Biography

Emma has 23 years of experience within the NHS specialising in Operations, Business Development and Improvement, Project and Programme Management, Recruitment, Team Leadership, People Management and Private Patients. Her extensive background provides a deep understanding of healthcare systems, enabling Emma to lead successful projects and initiatives that drive efficiency and quality across various areas of service delivery. 
Megan Dunaway
Job Title:
Hospital Engagement Lead
Organisation
Private Healthcare Information Network
Biography

Megan leads the Hospital Engagement team who support hospitals in achieving full compliance with their requirements under the CMA Order. Megan has 14 years’ experience in the healthcare sector with a variety of experience across stakeholder engagement, operations, and business development. Megan joined PHIN in 2019 from HCA Healthcare where she led Customer Operations and Business Development functions within the pathology division. Prior to working in the private healthcare sector, Megan studied Nursing in Glasgow.

Chris Gilbert
Job Title:
Provider Management Director
Organisation
Vitality
Biography

Chris is the Provider Management Director at Vitality and oversees the commercial, strategic and functional relationships between Vitality and all secondary care providers, he has a total of 7 years with Vitality and over 20 years of experience altogether in private health with prior roles at both Circle and AXA Health.

Hosted by The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

This year’s forum will be hosted at The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, one of the largest acute hospital trusts in the UK, providing local and specialist services across multiple hospital sites in Leeds and the wider region. The Trust delivers a broad range of secondary and tertiary services and plays an important role in education, research and regional care provision.

Leeds’ Private Patient Unit team will share insight with all attendees into their ongoing development journey, including infrastructure and governance improvements, approaches to securing executive buy-in, and lessons learned in progressing capital plans. You will also have the opportunity to take part in a concept walkthrough, with plans and designs showcasing how the service is evolving and what future development could look like in practice.

Hosting the event within a working NHS trust environment provides valuable context for discussion, will allow attendees to see first-hand how private patient activity operates alongside NHS services and to benchmark your own plans against a live development programme.

Thank you to our conference hosts:

Pricing structure

  • £49+VAT - one NHS or Public Sector place
  • Commercial companies are invited to sponsor this day. Please email Vanessa Pearce for further details.

Associations and networks

If you belong to an alliance, association or network please email Nichola Cadwallader to see how we can work together on a mutually beneficial basis. 

Venue details

Venue name: St George’s Church 

Address: Great George Street, Leeds,  LS1 3DL

Tel: 0113 243 8498

St George's is on Great George Street adjacent to Leeds General Infirmary. Car parking is available at The Light Q-Park, St John's Centre, and the Merrion Centre. These are all within 5-8 minutes walk of St George’s Church. 

We recommend using Google Maps instead of Sat Nav when locating the centre, as we do share our postcode with some other businesses in the area which can make us hard to find for some Sat Nav devices!

For those coming into the city by train, the St George’s Church is a two minutes walk from a bus stop served by the city centre circular bus route which stops at Leeds City Station, Town Hall, and Leeds City College.

The main entrance to the Church is through the west doors at the top of the steps, there is also a lift is available.

What happens once you have made your booking?

Once you have booked your place, SBK Healthcare will correspond with you using the email address you provided at the time of booking and you will be sent a formal confirmation. If you have not received this within 48 hours of making your booking please check your junk folder and then email bookings@sbk-healthcare.co.uk or call 01732 897788. .

Approximately one week prior to the conference you will be sent an email which will include all the final details for attendance on the day, including a final agenda and venue information.

Please inform us by writing to bookings@sbk-healthcare.co.uk if you have any special dietary or other requirements.

Reservations

If your funding has not yet been secured or you would like to hold your place with no obligation, you can reserve your place with us. Please email the reservations team at SBK Healthcare with your details:

  •  Booking contact: name, job title, department, email and telephone number
  •  Event(s) to reserve for: title and date
  •  Delegate details (for each delegate): name, job title, department, email and telephone number
  •  Organisation details: name and address

Alternatively you can make a confirmed booking by emailing the above information to the bookings team 

Terms and conditions

Certification of attendance

A certificate for Continuing Professional Development will be given to every fully registered participant who completes the course, as a record of your continuing professional training and development.

Registration fees

You will be sent an instant payment option or invoice on registration. Your payment is required in advance. If your fee has not been received prior to the event, and you are not able to provide a PO or proof of payment, you will be asked to make a credit or debit card payment on the day.

Modify registration

To let us know if your details are not correct when you have already registered, please email the bookings team.

Cancellations and substitutions

A full refund of fees will be made only for cancellations received within the first 48 hours of the booking being made. Notice of cancellation must be received in writing by emailing the bookings team at SBK Healthcare. Should you need to cancel your registration after this date, the registration fee remains payable in its entirety although a substitution will be accepted and conference documentation will be provided. Substitution attendees for delegates unable to attend after registering are acceptable at any time.

Event changes

It may be necessary for reasons beyond the control of the conference organisers to alter the content, speakers or the timing of the programme. We will endeavour to keep you abreast of such changes but any unavoidable change to the format will not constitute a reason to refund the fee. Should the event be postponed, we will endeavour to reschedule the event. If, for reasons beyond the control of the conference organiser, the event is cancelled, a full refund will be made. We do not accept any liability for any incurred costs resulting from a postponement or cancellation.

Privacy notice

To view the details on how your data is being collected and used, please view our Privacy policy

Expected attendees

With over 70 attendees registered for 2025's NHS Private Patients National Networking Forum at the Royal Free London make sure you are ready to benefit from all the networking opportunities available in 2026. 

Attendees expected include but are not limited to:

  •  Private Patient Managers, Overseas Visitors Managers and General Managers
  •  Business Development and Operations, Performance and Planning Leads
  •  Commercial, Marketing and Communication Managers
  •  Financial Planning, Contracts, Accounts and Finance Leads
  •  Clinical Leads, Consultants and Senior Nurses

Past attendee feedback

This event follows on from the hugely successful ‘NHS Private Patient Business Development Conference’ held in September 2024 which welcomed attendees from across the country and was very well received:

"Very well set up, fantastic learning and networking day"

NHS Private Patient Business Development Conference, September 2024

"Very insightful into the current market and PPY future"

NHS Private Patient Business Development Conference, September 2024

"Central venue, good organization, inclusive. Excellent to have insurers in the room"

NHS Private Patient Business Development Conference, September 2024

"Good day, good networking, good experience"

NHS Private Patient Business Development Conference, September 2024

View further comments on SBK Healthcare events on Trust Pilot.

With thanks to our sponsors

Pharmacierge is the e-prescribing service chosen by private clinicians to deliver medication to their patients throughout the UK.  Clinicians create and transfer e-prescriptions to our pharmacy near Harley Street, for free medication delivery to their patients. 


Streets Heaver is an award-winning & secure healthcare software provider to Hospitals across the UK, including 19 of the top 20 earning NHS PPUs. Our #1 Private Patient Billing & Administrative Aolution, Compucare®, seamlessly integrates with your hospital PAS to maximise accuracy and efficiency.


Why sponsor this SBK Healthcare Forum

Our role at SBK Healthcare is to bring industry together with healthcare professionals so that you can educate and inform your audience. These trail-blazing forums offer dedicated presentations, Q&A, networking and discussion time, each sponsor will be fully immersed into the event and able to effectively engage with your NHS audience.

"Reinforced some of the ideas on pricing I have which will help me articulate back to my management"

NHS Private Patient Business Development Conference, September 2024

"Good to have them here"

NHS Private Patient Business Development Conference, September 2024

"Most useful"

NHS Private Patient Business Development Conference, September 2024

Interested in having your own event, managed by us?

SBK Healthcare also provides in-house forums. Working closely with you as the client we can research, produce, market and deliver the conference or online forum that best suits the audience and meets your goals.

Reach out today

If you would like more information on our sponsorship options an in-house forum or if you wish to discuss your needs and what solutions may be appropriate for your business, please contact: 


Vanessa Pearce 
Contact: 01732 897788 
Email: vanessa.pearce@sbk-healthcare.co.uk