Panel Discussion: Beyond Sick Care: Building a Prevention-Driven Health System in the UK?

29 Jan 2026
Main Stage

The UK health system is world-renowned but still heavily oriented toward late-stage treatment rather than proactive prevention. Shifting toward a prevention-first model is critical for reducing pressure on the NHS, improving population health outcomes, and ensuring long-term sustainability. 

  • What would it take to get the UK’s health system thinking “prevention first” instead of waiting until people are really sick? 

  • What incentives and policy shifts are needed to encourage investment in prevention, both from government and private sector stakeholders? 

  • How can tech, data, and local communities help people stay healthier and spot problems early, before they become serious? 

Speakers
Cosima Gretton
Cosima Gretton, Executive Director of Digital Health and Deputy Chief Medical Officer -  Our Future Health
Vageesh Jain
Vageesh Jain, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Senior Lecturer - NHS South West London
Shireen Kassam
Shireen Kassam, Consultant Haematologist, Lifestyle Medicine Physician - King’s College Hospital
Thomas Beaney
Thomas Beaney,  Clinical Research Fellow and GP - The George Institute for Global Health 
Adrian Hayter
Adrian Hayter, Medical Director - Royal College of General Practitioners