Autumn and Winter Events for Primary Care Network Leaders 2026
- Tara Humphrey
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
At THC Primary Care, we provide resources for primary care leaders. This blog covers the events and conferences running from September to December 2026.
Most of these events are well established, so there will be no surprises on the list. But before you take a look, it is worth thinking about how to get the most from your time there.
Let's jump in!
Plan the days on either side, not just the day
I know I have written about this before, but I still make the same mistake sometimes, which is why I am reiterating it in this post.
Get organised so you can really enjoy yourself, reduce unnecessary stress from poor planning, and keep your diary free on the first morning back in the office.
Make the most of the exhibition hall
Especially at the large conferences, the exhibition halls can be a bit intense due to the number of sponsors there.
While they are a great opportunity to stock up on stationery and grab tote bags you would never use in any other context 😁, this is also your chance to get a demo or speak to a supplier on your terms.
If you have particular vendors in mind, prepare questions so you can take something concrete back to your network of practices.
A few practical things
If you are new to primary care and this will be your first autumn and winter event season, do not feel like you need to buy anything new to wear.
The dress code is always smart casual. Wear comfortable shoes as it can be a long day.
Also, bring an extra charger if you plan to take notes on your phone.
September
1. Management in Practice Newcastle
16 September 2026 | Newcastle Cost: Free for UK practice managers and primary care leaders
Cogora's event for practice managers and GP partners, co-located with Pulse LIVE Newcastle.
What you get:
Sessions on workforce, finance, HR and technology
Practical operational content aimed at the business side of general practice
Networking with practice managers across the North East
Learn more: events.cogora.com/managementinpractice
2. Management in Practice London
22 September 2026 | Mercure London Suite, Conference Centre, London Cost: Free for UK practice managers and primary care leaders.
Cogora describe this as one of the largest and most anticipated standalone events of the year for practice managers and GP partners.
What you get:
A full-day programme on practice management and business operations
A large exhibition of suppliers and service providers
The biggest practice manager audience of the Cogora calendar
October
3. Best Practice Birmingham and Respiratory Professional Care
7 and 8 October 2026 | NEC Birmingham, Hall 4 Cost: Free for healthcare professionals Times: 09:00 to 17:00 on Wednesday, 09:00 to 16:00 on Thursday
The largest free commercial and educational event for general practice and primary healthcare in the UK, with around 4,000 attendees and 210 exhibitors.
The 2026 programme is built around five themes, including moving care out of hospitals and into the community, digital transformation in primary care, and public health and health inequalities.
What you get:
CPD-certified sessions across multiple theatres at no cost
Real-world neighbourhood delivery case studies
Governance-led digital content
Updates from senior leaders on what the 10 Year Health Plan means for general practice
A large exhibition covering the primary care supplier market
Co-located respiratory content through Respiratory Professional Care
Learn more: bestpracticeshow.co.uk
November
4. Integrated Care Delivery Forum: Autumn 2026
3 November 2026 | London Cost: Not published on the event listing. Check the site.
Public Policy Projects' autumn forum, following the Birmingham edition on 30 April. Set against the 10 Year Health Plan, it looks at the repositioning of ICBs as strategic commissioners, new expectations around outcomes and financial accountability, and reforms to medicines optimisation and innovation.
What you get:
Three theatres running across the day: Neighbourhood and Systems, Medicines and Care Pathways, and Data and Digital Innovation
Neighbourhood content focused on operational reality rather than aspiration, including who actually holds the integrator role across neighbourhoods and place
Sessions on the digital foundations needed for integrated neighbourhood delivery
An audience of ICB chairs and executive teams, trust chief executives, NHS England directors, local authority and public health leaders, and primary care and neighbourhood leadership teams
5. Management in Practice Virtual
3 November 2026 | Online | Cost: Free for UK practice managers and primary care leaders
The online edition of Management in Practice, covering the same operational ground without the travel.
What you get:
A full programme you can attend from the practice
Sessions aimed at practice managers and business managers
Useful if the in-person dates do not work for you
Learn more: events.cogora.com/managementinpractice
6. NHTeams 2026: The NHS Neighbourhood Teams Conference
12 November 2026 | Manchester | Cost | Free NHS tickets, allocated in advance and known to sell out.
A delivery-focused event for leaders translating neighbourhood strategy into operational reality. The programme covers both service design and the digital, data and infrastructure layers needed to make neighbourhood models work. Convenzis describe it as a working session on how neighbourhood care is actually built, enabled and sustained rather than a showcase of aspiration.
What you get:
8 CPD points
Skill Clinics with practical tools, checklists and implementation templates covering digital enablement, workforce deployment, estates utilisation, data integration and service governance
Lessons Learned sessions with candid reflections from NHS leaders on what worked, what did not, and what had to change mid delivery
Content on service redesign and operating models, population health data, workforce and productivity technologies, safety and interoperability, patient flow, and equity of access
A senior audience of ICS and ICB executives, primary and community care leaders, digital and data leads, workforce planners and transformation directors
7. The King's Fund Annual Conference 2026: Good Health for All
17 and 18 November 2026 | The King's Fund, London | Cost: There is a cost for this event. Prices vary by organisation type and are published on the site.
Two days examining what it would mean to have good health for all by 2040 and what is needed to make it possible. Day one looks at what the future is already starting to look like.
Day two turns to how we get there, including what needs to change nationally and locally.
What you get:
Plenaries and themed sessions structured around be challenged, learn and do
Panel discussions, case studies and interactive workshops
A breakfast session on making neighbourhood health everyone's business, using the whole workforce to deliver better community care
A session on unleashing the power of neighbourhood health and what it takes to stop doing to people and start working with communities, responding to the Neighbourhood Health Framework
Sessions on health inequalities, the future of patient voice, digital and AI leadership, and the future of work in health and care
Confirmed speakers include Samantha Jones OBE, Permanent Secretary at DHSC, Professor Frankie Swords, National Medical Director at NHS England, and Kim Shutler, SRO for Neighbourhood Health at West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
Learn more: kingsfund.org.uk/events/annual-conference
8. Management in Practice Sheffield
18 November 2026 | Sheffield | Cost: Free for UK practice managers and primary care leaders
The inaugural Sheffield edition, one of two new regional Management in Practice events added for 2026 alongside Bristol.
What you get:
Practice management content in a new regional location
A first look at how the Sheffield event is shaped
Networking with practice managers across South Yorkshire
Learn more: events.cogora.com/managementinpractice
9. Pulse LIVE, Pulse PCN and Nursing in Practice Liverpool
24 and 25 November 2026 | Liverpool Cost: Free
The one to put in the diary if you lead a PCN. Pulse PCN Events are free in-person discussion forums created specifically for PCN Clinical Directors, PCN Managers and senior PCN leaders.
Cogora describe them as a dedicated space for leaders responsible for shaping neighbourhood health services to step back, share insight and explore what system change means in practice.
What you get:
Content grounded in real PCN responsibilities rather than national theory
Sessions covering maximising ARRS roles, strengthening pharmacy collaboration, workforce development, service delivery and sustainable leadership at neighbourhood level
Open discussion and peer learning with other PCN leaders
Co-located GP and nursing programmes across the two days
Learn more: events.cogora.com/pulsepcn-liverpool-2026
December
10. General Practice Awards
4 December 2026 | Novotel London West Cost: There is a cost for this event. Ticket and table prices are available from Cogora.
The 18th annual General Practice Awards, a black-tie evening organised by Cogora.
What you get:
Recognition for practice, PCN and individual achievement
An evening event with the wider general practice community
Profile for shortlisted teams
Learn more: events.cogora.com/generalpracticeawards
I am attending Management in Practice London on 22 September and the Integrated Care Delivery Forum on 3 November. Both are new events for me.
If you are going to either, do come and say hello.
About us
THC Primary Care is an award-winning healthcare consultancy specialising in Primary Care Network management and the creator of The Business of Healthcare. With over 20 years in the industry, we have supported more than 300 PCNs through interim management, training and consultancy.
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