The Derby & Derbyshire Annual General Practice Conference 2026

Annual General Practice Conference 2026

On Wednesday 30 September, colleagues from across Derby and Derbyshire came together for the Annual General Practice Conference 2026, hosted by Derby and Derbyshire Local Medical Committee, The Hub Plus Derbyshire and the Derbyshire General Practice Provider Board.

The conference provided an opportunity for colleagues from across general practice to connect, share ideas and explore some of the key opportunities and challenges facing the sector.

With a programme of presentations, panel discussions and interactive workshops, the day focused on important themes including neighbourhood working, partnership working, prevention, digital transformation and integration between primary and secondary care.

Working together across general practice

The day opened with Dr Duncan Gooch, Chair of the NHS Alliance Primary Care Network and GPPB Board Member, who highlighted the importance of collaboration across general practice.

Recognising the pressures currently facing practices, including workforce, recruitment and training, Duncan emphasised the value of practices supporting one another, sharing knowledge and working collectively to improve outcomes for patients and communities.

Using the metaphor of a flock of birds, he encouraged colleagues to “fly together”, highlighting the importance of working collaboratively towards shared goals.

Exploring neighbourhood working

Delegates then heard from Dr Susie Bayley, Medical Director of The Hub Plus Derbyshire, who explored what successful neighbourhood working could look like in practice.

Susie highlighted the importance of building strong relationships, trust and a shared purpose, alongside examples of teams already working collaboratively across Derbyshire.

Delegates then took part in a facilitated table discussion, providing an opportunity to share their own experiences and explore what successful neighbourhood working could look and feel like locally.

The discussion continued through a panel session, where delegates were able to put their questions to local leaders and hear different perspectives on the future of primary care.

Interactive workshops

The afternoon programme gave delegates the opportunity to explore a range of topics through interactive workshops.

Sessions focused on:

• The Digital Future: What It Means for General Practice

• Primary & Secondary Care: Making Integration Work Prevention, partnership and neighbourhood working

• Partnership Working: Promotion, Health Optimisation and Disease Prevention

• Creative Solutions Lab: Real-world projects, honest learning and ideas you can use tomorrow 

The workshops provided a chance for colleagues to share experiences, consider new ideas and discuss practical approaches that could be applied within their own organisations and communities.

Looking ahead

The conference provided a valuable opportunity to bring colleagues and partners together, create space for meaningful conversations and share learning from across Derby and Derbyshire.

Thank you to everyone who attended, contributed to the discussions and helped make the day such a positive and engaging event.

We hope you enjoyed the conference and found the sessions and discussions useful.

We look forward to continuing these conversations and welcoming you to next year’s conference.