Economist Impact’s Future of Health Europe Summit: Day Two

Centred on digital health and economics, Day Two of the Future of Health summit kicks off post a slightly earlier welcome with the panel, ‘Addressing the healthcare workforce crisis’.

With the WHO predicting a global shortage of some 18 million health workers by 2030 and many health workers in Europe taking industrial action for increased salaries and investment in health systems, it is clear that urgent steps must be taken to address the ageing health workforce, as well. In discussion, as moderated by Graham Cookson, chief executive of the Office of Health Economics, are: István Ujhelyi, MEP and member of the SANT Committee; Björn Zoëga, chief executive, Karolinska University Hospital; Elizabeth Kuiper, associate director and head of the social Europe and well-being programme, European Policy Centre; , Javier Mendoza, gastroenterologist and leading metaverse doctor.

To follow swiftly after and at a yet very early hour in the day with be the subsequent panel, ‘Making it personal: Is personalised healthcare the future of health systems?’ Moderated by Vivek Muthu, chief of healthcare at Economist Impact, discussing personalised medicine and prevention plans will be: John Bell, Regius professor of medicine at the University of Oxford; Paula Franklin, chief medical officer of Bupa Group; health tech venture capitalist Pooja Sikka; and Lukas Didon, vice president of commercial and partnerships at Kry/Livi.

Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for health and food safety at the European Commission, will give a keynote speech on digitalisation as a driver for a sustainable and resilient European Health Union, before a panel – ‘Shifting the focus to wellness and well-being’ – explores how healthcare systems can be proactive instead of reactive. Discussing this with moderator Georgia Banjo, Britain correspondent at The Economist, will be: Hildegarde Naughton, government chief whip and minister of state, Department of Health, Ireland; Axel Heitmueller, chief executive, Imperial College Health Partners; Christian Roques, deputy director-general in charge of operations and directorate-general for human resources and security, European Commission; and Charlotte Frost, lead benefits and wellbeing, Schroders.

To follow, David Humphreys, global practice leader for health policy at Economist Impact with interview Vanessa Kerry, special envoy for climate change and health at the Who and chief executive at Seed Global Health on addressing the health consequences of climate change.

After a coffee break and networking sojourn, another panel – ‘Delivering on the potential of digitised health systems’ – will explore the policies, ethics, and scaling elements of data and digital health. Moderator Benedict Macon-Cooney, chief policy strategist at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, welcomes to the discussion: Tomislav Sokol, MEP; Björn Zoëga, chief executive, Karolinska University Hospital; Gurnak Dosanjh, general practitioner and integrated care board clinical lead home first and UEC NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland; and Geeta Nayyar, former chief medical officer, Salesforce and author of “Dead Wrong”.

As noon strikes the hour (and beyond) there’ll be a panel on demonstrating the value of investing in health, a strategy session on balancing cost containment with long-term planning, and another panel, this time on the potential for digital therapeutics to transform healthcare.

Lunch will provide an interlude, before the presentation, ‘Reviewing spending as the burden of disease shifts’, given by Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser, Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) UK, and chief executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Research, UK.

A fireside chat on digital health reimbursement will take place between Muthu and Ricardo Baptista Leite, chief executive of HEALTH.AI, before an interview focused on date use in digitised health systems between Fulvia Raffaelli, head of the digital health unit, DG SANTE, at the European Commission, and Elly Vaughan, senior manager of global health policy at Economist Impact. At the same time as the latter, by way of option, will be another fireside chat on the value and power of vaccines, Novavax’s executive VP and chief corporate affairs and advocacy officer Silvia Taylor interviewed by Michael Guterbock, senior consultant of policy and insights art Economist Impact.

A choice between panels will ensue: either contemplation of AI in medicine or the economics of prevention, before another track-directed (digital health or economics) toss-up between panels on either prioritising mental health or where digital health is having the most impact.

Finally, to conclude the two-day event, a fireside chat on the economics of genomics will take place between Natasha Loder, health editor of The Economist, and Richard Scott, acting chief executive of Genomics England.

Be sure to keep an eye out here, and if you missed yesterday, check out our Day One live coverage as well.