From evidence to impact: making prevention stick

As attention turns to delivery, difficult questions arise. Is prevention a genuine priority when political, fiscal and commercial pressures pull in the opposite direction? How do we protect evidence-based prevention when difficult decisions need to be made? How do we make prevention happen and make it stick?

This shift cannot be achieved by the NHS alone; it requires coordinated action across national and local government, the voluntary sector, employers, communities and individuals themselves. It also demands a fundamental rethink of how we allocate money, measure success, and value long-term outcomes.

Through keynote talks, panel discussions, and interactive breakouts, we will challenge participants to move beyond just aspiration. Join peers from across the sector to explore the forces threatening progress and work together on the practical, political, and moral choices required to shift the dial on prevention.

This conference will take a person-centred and evidence-led look at whether we are serious about prevention in 2026, with planned sessions on:

• why prevention struggles to survive pressure – setting the scene on rising demand, political cycles and fiscal constraint
• how and why prevention gains stall or reverse – examining fragility, pushback and unintended consequences
• leadership choices under pressure – how prioritisation decisions shape whether prevention is protected or dropped
• what needs to change now to make prevention stick – system design, workforce support and near‑term actions, not long‑term aspiration.