News / Highlights from December’s conference

The HFMA annual conference heard from a
number of leading speakers in healthcare. NHS England chief financial officer Paul Baumann (right) asked finance managers to address four questions:

• Are they maximising value?
• Are risk management strategies adequate?
• Can they quickly capitalise and build on improving partnership working?
• Can the finance function ensure it has the capability and leadership to deliver transformational change?

A development programme for aspiring finance directors and chief finance officers was launched at the December event. At one of a couple of interactive panel sessions, NHS Improvement director of resources and deputy chief executive Bob Alexander said significant numbers of senior finance posts were filled on a shared or interim basis and the development programme would help address this.

There were opportunities in all trusts to increase efficiency by reducing variation in performance, NHS Improvement chief executive Jim Mackey (right) told the conference. Eliminating variation would help build the case for further funding increases. He called for greater positivity, but added that he did not expect accountants to agree to report figures with which they were uncomfortable. 

In a motivational session to close the conference, Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey described the challenges and successes in her career to date.

The HFMA national awards were held during the conference, which saw Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group chief finance officer Annette Walker named as Finance Director of the Year. She was praised for a range of work, but particularly on the pioneering partnership with Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, which led to their aligned incentives contract.

See more conference coverage at HFMA top stories