Primary Health Care Specialist Group 45th Annual Conference, Education Day and AGM 2026
The BCS Primary Health Care Specialist Group (PHCSG) is holding its 45th Annual Conference at voco Oxford Thames Hotel, near Oxford.
FREE Education Day - Prepare to Leap Forward
Thursday 12th November 2026 | 09:20
This year at the Education day we look at Clinical Safety for new IT additions to General Practice, experiences of using AI Scribes and how AI can be used to modernise practice. We examine how we can use the data we collect in day to day clinical practice to help improve the health of the populations we serve. Finally, we emphasise the importance of getting the foundations, such as data quality right before leaping forward with AI.
Our FREE education day is aimed at the digital leads and those working in and with general practice with an interest in IT and informatics. Network with other practices, meet new people and learn about how others in primary care are tackling IT and informatics issues.
|
Time |
Topic |
Speaker |
|
08:30 |
Registration and coffee/tea |
|
|
09:20 |
Welcome and opening remarks |
Dr Ian Thompson, Chair of PHCSG Committee |
|
09:30 |
Using AI to Modernise your practice |
Dr Neil Paul, GP and Clinical Director of SMASH Primary Care Network Cheshire |
|
10:10 |
Unintended consequences of using ambient scribes in general practice |
Dr Benn Gooch, GP and GP Tutor University of Oxford |
|
10:50 |
Coffee/tea break and networking |
|
|
11:20 |
Clinical Safety for GP Practices (title to be confirmed) |
Rudi Hennnesy |
|
12:00 |
60 years of Oxford-RCGP Research and Surveillance Centre |
Dr Simon De Lusginan, Professor of Primary Care and Clinical Informatics Oxford |
|
12:40 |
Lunch and networking |
|
|
13:40 |
Report on Medical Informatics Europe from BCS PHCSG Julian Costello Travel Award Winners 2026 |
BCS PHCSG Julian Costello Award Winners 2026 |
|
14:00 |
Presentation from the Hildegard Franke Early Career Award Winner |
|
|
14:20 |
Impacts of Data Quality on NHS Service Provision |
Dr Dai Evans GP, Lead Clinical Advisor PRIMIS, University of Nottingham |
|
15:00 |
OpenPrescribing: Making the most of your Medication Data |
Brian McKenna, Director of NHS Service Analytics at the Bennett Institute |
|
15:40 |
Closing remarks |
Dr Ian Thompson, Chair of PHCSG Committee |
The BCS PHCSG have been running free Education Days for those working in or supporting general practice for several years. If you are interested in technology and or IT, are a seasoned professional, a new digital lead or are just interested, come along to meet us.
Places are free but limited. Register early to secure your place
Dinner and overnight accommodation are available for the night before the Education Day; please ensure you select this when booking your ticket.
Don’t forget our prizes: We have two prizes available, the Hildi Franke for those at the beginning of their informatics career and the John Perry Prize for excellence in primary care informatics. Visit the BCS PHCSG Prize and awards page to apply now. Don’t be shy!
Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the PHCSG
Thursday 12th November 2026 | 16:30
The Annual General Meeting provides members with an opportunity to review the group's activities over the past year and participate in the election of committee members. Nomination forms for available committee positions will be circulated ahead of the meeting.
Conference Dinner and Awards
Thursday 12th November 2026 | 19:30
We begin the main conference with a drinks reception, followed by a formal dinner to allow networking. The Hildegard Franke Award for early career informaticians and John Perry Prize for excellence in primary care informatics will be awarded during dinner.
Accommodation is available on-site and can be selected during booking.
Conference day
From Patient to Population - It All Starts with the Consultation
Friday 13 November 2026 | 09:20
Topics include Ben Goldacre on big data and where the future may lead us, experiences of using patient generated health information, information on the development of a digital formulary and finishing with discussion on the Silent Consultation and the impacts of AI-mediated GP encounters.
If you are interested in digital health and informatics and would like to consider how it impacts general practice, PCNs and how to position general practice well within your ICS, this is the conference for you. Attendees include health and clinical informaticians, GPs and other clinicians working in primary care, researchers, academics, students, practice managers, other primary care staff, suppliers to primary care, NHS staff including NHS England and other health bodies.
The PHCSG conference is intentionally intimate and operates under Chatham House rule, creating a trusted environment for open and honest discussion.
|
Time |
Topic |
Speaker |
|
08:30 |
Registration and coffee/tea |
|
|
09:25 |
Welcome and opening remarks |
Dr Ian Thompson, Chair of PHCSG Committee |
|
09:35 |
PHCSG Lifetime Award |
|
|
09:40 |
Where does big data lead us? Vision for the future |
Professor Ben Goldacre, MBE, Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science at the University of Oxford |
|
10:20 |
RCGP Digital & Data Role (TBC) |
Dr Anne-Marie Cunningham, Digital and Data Lead RCGP |
|
11:00 |
Coffee/tea break and networking |
|
|
11:30 |
Presentation by John Perry Prize Winner |
|
|
12:20 |
SPONSOR Abtrace: Data Driven Proactive Care |
Dr Harry Wyatt, Abtrace |
|
13:00 |
Lunch and networking |
|
|
14:00 |
London Universal Care Plan Handling Patient Data |
Thomas Ince, Senior Clinical Transformation Manager – Universal Care Plan Programme, London ICBs |
|
14:40 |
UK digital Formulary/Pharmacy First |
Professor Tony Avery, OBE, GP and Professor of Primary Health Care at the University of Nottingham. National Clinical Director for Prescribing for NHS England |
|
15:20 |
Coffee/tea break and networking |
|
|
15:40 |
"The Silent Consultation: Signal Loss, Cognitive, Authorship, and the AI-Mediated GP Encounter" |
Dr Alan Hassey |
|
16:30 |
Closing remarks |
Dr Ian Thompson, Chair of PHCSG Committee |
