Join us at the Rapid evaluation in health care conference 2026
The Rapid evaluation conference, organised by the Nuffield Trust and the Improvement Analytics Unit at the Health Foundation, will take place on 13 May 2026, at the British Medical Association. Now in its eighth year, the conference will bring together representatives from the rapid evaluation community, including analysts, evaluators, service users, policy makers, commissioners and local decision makers to explore the role of rapid evaluation in a changing health and social care landscape.
As the NHS and social care system enter a period of significant change to its structures and ambitions, in line with the shifts signalled in the 10-Year Plan, the demands on rapid evaluation are shifting. Political and commissioning pressures for swift action continue to grow, yet the need for robust, timely evidence across health and care has never been greater. Rapid evaluation can play a vital role in guiding decision-making during periods of uncertainty, but it may also be perceived as slowing momentum at a time when systems and services are eager to move forward.
Join us to discuss current and future challenges, engage in new thinking and develop ideas that can help improve systems and processes.
This is a free to attend event, with limited spaces available.
We hope you can join us!
Session 1: Advancing rapid evaluation: insights from England’s national teams
- Speaker: Stephanie Kumpunen Senior Fellow, Nuffield Trust
- Chair: Prof Jenny Shand Director of RSET, Professor of Applied Health Research, UCL, University College London
Session 2a: Keeping pace with AI: Iterative evaluation using Learning Health Systems principles
Session 2b: A modern way of letting go: decommissioning against a tide of adoption
Session 2c: Bringing care closer to home: the role of rapid evaluation in driving change
Session 3a: Keeping patients at the heart of rapid evaluation
Session 3b: Case study session: Improving NHS maternity services: how can we move from reactive reviews to proactive evaluation?
- Speaker: Sally Gainsbury Senior Policy Analyst, Nuffield Trust
Session 3c: Follow the money? The changing role of economic evaluation in today’s NHS
- Chair: Hannah Rose Douglas Assistant Director, Head of the Improvement Analytics Unit, The Health Foundation
Session 4: TBC
- Speaker: Dr Jonathan Clarke Principal Data Analyst, The Health Foundation