23 - 24 February 2026, Grand Millennium, Auckland

Quality, safety & productivity in healthcare

Improving healthcare without compromise

In a resource constrained world, healthcare systems, and the professionals that work within them are constantly striving to improve their productivity and efficiency. However, it is essential that this is not achieved by compromising the quality and safety of the healthcare they provide.

This important new conference investigates the intersection of quality, safety, and productivity and provides practical guidance to healthcare teams into how we can achieve all three. By sharing global evidence from around the world, where health systems are all grappling with similar challenges.

And by disseminating the best existing practice from at home in New Zealand, this event will equip those attending with the tools and knowledge they need at a critical time.

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Key themes not to be missed

Strengthening Governance

See how strong frameworks and shared accountability lift safety and trust. Learn how clinical leaders manage risk and measure outcomes to improve care.

Advancing Quality, Safety and Equity

Explore practical ways to deliver fairer, safer care for all. Hear how Te Tiriti-led and culturally safe approaches drive real change.

Empowering and Protecting the Workforce

Put wellbeing at the centre of safety. Discover how teams are tackling burnout and supporting staff through change.

Technology for Better Care

Find out how AI, telehealth and data tools boost quality and productivity. Learn how smart tech reduces admin and frees time for patients.

Continuous Learning and Partnership

See how collaboration with whānau drive innovation. Explore systems that make quality improvement part of everyday care.

KEY SPEAKERS FOR 2026

Our 2026 key lineup brings together influential leaders, clinicians, and innovators driving change in the healthcare system.
Check out more today.

Peter Pronovost, MD

Chief Quality & Clinical Transformation Officer

University Hospitals (USA)

Dr Jonathan Christiansen

Chair

New Zealand Clinical Senate

Morag McDowell

Commissioner

Health and Disability Commission

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We are currently working on the programme and agenda.
If you would like to have input into our research programme please email xxxx@brightstar.co.nz

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Venue

The location and how you can get there

Address

Grand Millennium, Auckland
71 Mayoral Drive, Cnr Vincent Street,
Auckland 1010

Agenda

8:30	Registration and Coffee
8:50	Mihi whakatau
9:00	Welcoming remarks from Conference Chair
9:10	Institute for Healthcare Improvement keynote address Lisa McKenzie, Vice President- Asia Pacific, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
9:50	Driving improvements healthcare quality and safety and the consumer & whanau experience of care by changing culture, embedding clinical governance and developing a learning system How can organisations use and adapt Collaborating for quality: A framework for clinical governance to develop clinical governance systems which drive improvements in the quality and safety of care? Examining the four domains of quality which define the activities required to achieve quality, safety and equity of health and care services:Consumers and whānau are active partners, engaged, effective and culturally safe health workforce, clinically effective health care, System safety and learning Understanding the key system drivers which can support delivery of quality and safety: Delivering collaborative and coordinated care, ensuring inclusive leadership, monitoring and evaluation, the use of effective use of health technologies and data How can quality and safety leaders and teams deliver the critical dual role of both quality assurance and improvement? How can clinical teams work in partnership with managers to assess and monitor clinical risk, identify gaps, deliver improvement, ensure accountability and shape a culture of quality and safety? Dr Sarah Jackson, National Chief, Quality and Patient Safety, Te Whatu Ora \| Health NZ
10:30	Morning refreshments
11:00	The New Zealand Clinical Senate - Ensuring that the voices of those delivering care are central to decision-making Sharing the vision and purpose of the NZ Clinical Senate Delivering strategic advice on system-wide, cross discipline issues that impact the quality and efficiency of patient care Exploring how the NZ Clinical Senate will champion quality and safety issues to improve patient care and outcomes Unlocking our clinical potential: Identifying and addressing barriers to efficient delivery of quality healthcare – presenting the findings from the first meeting of the NZ Clinical Senate Associate Professor Jonathan Christiansen, Chair, New Zealand Clinical Senate
11:40	Using Human Factors approaches to improve the quality and safety of healthcare Examining the theory, principles and methods that underpin the scientific discipline of Human Factors which aims to optimise our understanding of the way people interact with the systems within which they work Using Human Factors approaches to design improvements that optimise both human wellbeing and system performance Recognising that the people and teams we work with are our key resources in ensuring quality and patient safety – how can we design our systems to make it easier for them? Embedding Human Factors approaches in a range of clinical care environments
12:20	Panel discussion: Answering tough questions about our ability to ensure the quality and safety of patients and deliver improvement in care in resource challenged operating environments How much of an impact are restricted resources having on quality and safety systems within healthcare currently? Are levels of clinical risk increasing? Do services have the capacity and capability to deliver improvement or does all effort have to be focused on simply maintaining BAU? What impact have restructures had on the system capability to deliver improvement, innovation and transformation? Do we have the capacity to support the delivery of the system level transformative shifts from treatment to prevention and from acute to community that have the potential to achieve long term financial sustainability? Do quality and safety teams have the capacity to support services to improve or are all efforts deployed in maintaining delivery of key clinical governance assurance and compliance exercises? What impact do focused Government targets around access have on the capacity of the system to deliver wider improvement and engagement? How can quality and safety teams support services to manage increased risk associated with rising levels of acuity in presentation
1:00	Lunch
2:00	Improving the efficiency and productivity of care Understanding productivity and the need to utilise scarce resources as efficiently as possible as a key domain of health quality Can the system really do more with less without sacrificing standards? Exploring the evidence that the delivery of high-quality care can achieve increased clinical capacity and improve efficiency Releasing time to care – how can we support teams to improve productivity and quality through reducing administrative and documentation burdens Rationalising the measurement and monitoring performance - how do we avoid duplication, overlaps and underlaps in quality and safety activity and increase productivity? Exploring the system level enablers and transformative shifts that have the potential to support long term changes in health service efficiency and productivity Identifying the policies, processes and systems that can best support the health workforce to do the right things, for the right patients, at the right times, and in the right settings Taking a patient pathway and system view to address the fundamental drivers of productivity Technology driven productivity – exploring the tools available to improve efficiency and reduce administrative burdens Developing meaningful productivity measures, supported by quality metrics so that we can understand productivity trends and the drivers of productivity within service delivery settings
2:30	Understanding healthcare workforce wellbeing improvement as a quality and safety intervention Recognising staff wellbeing as a proxy and prerequisite for patient safety and high-quality patient care Examining the relationship between wellbeing and productivity Exploring the psychosocial risks that healthcare staff are routinely exposed to, including burnout, bullying and harassment, workplace violence and aggression Identifying controls and measures that can be put in place to prevent and manage psychosocial risks in modern healthcare Exploring the concept of moral hazard and moral injury in healthcare Maintaining the psychological safety of healthcare teams – why protecting staff ability to feel that they can speak freely and challenge poor care is critical to safety Putting in place effective post traumatic incident support for staff to ensure their wellbeing Dr Jo Sinclair, Chief Wellbeing Officer \| Consultant Anaesthetist, Te Whatu Ora
3:00	Developing and deploying risk management approaches to ensure quality and safety Recognising that healthcare is a complex adaptive system with many interconnected parts that interact to create inevitable risks – why effective risk controls and an understanding of risk management is essential Developing mechanisms to monitor, identify, respond to and manage risk within your organisation Ensuring that you have well developed and clear systems in place for risk escalation and response Understanding the relationahip between enterprise risk and clinical risk in healthcare Putting in place to systems to manage and escalate clinical risk and identify signs of emergent clinical risks
3:30	Afternoon break
3:50	Implementing and operationalising clinical governance and quality in practice Exploring the history and key challenges to successfully implementing clinical governance in practice Reframing clinical governance to support staff engagement and successful implementation Customising clinical governance and quality for an Aotearoa NZ context using the SWEET (Safe, Whānau-centred, Effective, Equitable, Te Tiriti- and Tikanga-based) framework Practical tips and illustrative examples to support implementation and operationalisation in practice – making care SWEETer Dr Jerome Ng, Clinical Director - Clinical Governance, Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau
4:25	Leveraging technology to improve quality, safety and productivity Developing frameworks for harnessing innovation and new technology to drive improvements in quality and productivity Ensuring that our quality and safety systems and improvement capabilities keep pace with rapid advancements in technology Maximising the use of AI for both productivity and quality improvement - how can it be harnessed in a way that frees people up for the high value work? Undertaking a risk analysis of the use of AI in the health sector Creating quality standards for the use of telehealth and remote consultations Working to ensure that we make insight and data the backbone for safety and quality Exploring a range of patient safety technology solutions Understanding cyber security as a clinical safety issue Dr Graham Denyer, Chief Medical Officer, Tend Healthcare
5:00	Summary remarks from the Chair & Networking Drinks

9:00	Welcome back from Conference Chair
9:05	Health and Disability Commissioner Address: Lessons for the system from the work of the HDC Reflecting on HDC cases over the last 12 months and identifying current challenges for healthcare practitioners and the public Analysing trends in the complaints received by the HDC – what do these tell us about the key quality and safety issues within New Zealand healthcare Identifying lessons for the system in the way they manage quality and safety and in the way they respond to incidents and complaints What lessons can we learn from the way other health systems manage and support general practice ownership and delivery? Morag McDowell, Commissioner, Health and Disability Commission
9.50	Living and leading with love – exploring the intersection of healthcare and humanity In the face of unprecedented challenges—rising costs, workforce burnout, and declining trust—healthcare organisations must rethink how they lead change. Dr. Peter Pronovost presents a bold, evidence-based framework for transformation rooted not in technology or policy, but in love. Drawing from his experience leading system-wide change Dr. Pronovost introduces a scalable operating model—Believe, Belong, Build—that integrates purpose-driven leadership, inclusive culture, and disciplined management systems. This session will explore how love, defined as the energy that uplifts and connects people, can dissolve fear, foster trust, and accelerate innovation. Attendees will learn how to operationalise this model to drive measurable improvements in clinical outcomes, workforce engagement, and financial performance. Through real-world examples and practical tools, participants will leave empowered to lead with compassion, accountability, and courage—transforming their organizations from the inside out. This session will enable participants to: Apply the “Believe, Belong, Build” framework to redesign care delivery and operating models that foster collective problem-solving and continuous improvement Implement leadership strategies that cultivate psychological safety, trust, and belonging—enabling frontline teams to contribute meaningfully to transformation efforts Measure and scale cultural change using the 5 R’s (rituals, rhetoric, rewards, recognition, and role-modelling) to create a flywheel for performance and sustainable innovation Peter Pronovost, MD, Chief Quality & Clinical Transformation Officer, University Hospitals (USA) & President, UH Veale Healthcare Transformation Institute
10:30	Morning refreshments
11:00	Humanising harm: Restorative responses to conflict, complaints and adverse events Exploring how adversarial principles and practices compound harm in complex health systems Explaining the key principles underpinning restorative responses and the benefits and risks involved with employing a relational framework Appreciating the dynamic staff, patient and whānau experience - shaping system safety through stories and relational leadership Ensuring that responses, and the subsequent evaluations, consider what works (or not) for different stakeholder groups Dr Jo Wailling, Founder, Restorative Responses
11:40	Working in partnership with consumers, whānau and communities to deliver safe, skilled and compassionate consumer and whānau-centred care Recognising the importance of active engagement with communities, patients consumers and whānau - ensuring that we are providing them with greater control over the design of health the services they rely on How can we best ensure the involvement of consumers at all levels of clinical governance and quality improvement systems within the system to make sure that services are meeting their needs? Understanding how effective clinical governance and quality and safety systems can act as enablers allowing health services to be more responsive to the needs of the communities they serve Analysing the code of expectations for health entities’ engagement with consumers and whānau and the expectations it sets for how health entities must work with consumers, whānau and communities in the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of health services Sharing examples of effective co-design in action demonstrating the active support of Māori and other key consumer groups in the co-production and co-design of health care Angela Smith, Co-Chair, National Quality Forum, Co-Chair, Te Kāhui Mahi Ngātahi I Consumer Advisory Group & Co-Chair, Te Whatu Ora Te Ikaroa I Central Regional Consumer Council
12:20	Improving the value of clinical audit for quality improvement Ensuring effective regular clinical audit programmes are in place to allow benchmarking of care standards, to assess best practice and support ongoing quality improvement activity Using systematic, critical analysis to assess the quality of healthcare by comparing actual practice against established standards to identify gaps and improve patient outcomes Utilising audit to highlight good care as well as pin-pointing sub-standard and unsafe care Identifying the best proven clinical audit techniques that enhance patient care and promote professional development Identifying the best proven clinical audit techniques that enhance patient care and promote professional development Ensuring that the information gained through audit is used productively to drive quality improvements, improve care and prevent further incidents and is not simply a tick box exercise Examining approaches for taking results from clinical audit and turning these into effective actions
1:00	Lunch
2:00	Patient Safety & Clinical Risk Updates In this series crucial clinical updates, experts will examine a range of key clinical risk areas allowing attendees to keep up to date. They will present the latest guidance and standards available that identify clinical best practice as well as delivering an analysis of effective evidence-based patient safety interventions, proven quality improvement initiatives and technology solutions that can make a difference. Covering the following areas: Infection prevention and control Medicines management - Dr Jerome Ng, Clinical Director - Clinical Governance, Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau Falls prevention Primary Care Patient deterioration and sepsis - Dr Alex Psirides, Co-Director & Intensive Care Specialist, Wellington ICU & Chair, National Critical Care Advisory Group, Te Whatu Ora \| Health NZ Mental health Aged care Mental health
5:00	Summary remarks from the Chair & end of Conference

Speakers

Speakers to be announced

Dr Sally Roberts

President, International Society for Infectious Diseases &

Clinical Head of Microbiology and Clinical Lead for Infection Prevention, Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai

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Dr. Sally Roberts is an esteemed graduate of the University of Auckland, School of Medicine. She excels as a clinical microbiologist and infectious diseases physician at Auckland City Hospital and holds the position of Clinical Head of Microbiology at LabPlus, Auckland District Health Board. Since August 2011, Dr. Roberts has been a pivotal force as the National Clinical Lead for the New Zealand Health Quality & Safety Commission’s Infection Prevention and Control Program, actively participating in various working groups for New Zealand’s Ministry of Health. Her dedication to the field is demonstrated by her focus on diagnosing infectious diseases, preventing healthcare-associated infections, and addressing antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Alex Psirides

Co-Director & Intensive Care Specialist, Wellington ICU &

Chair, National Critical Care Advisory Group, Te Whatu Ora | Health NZ

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Dr Sarah Jackson

National Chief, Quality and Patient Safety

Te Whatu Ora | Health NZ

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Dr Sarah Jackson has more than 30 years’ experience working to improve quality and safety of care for patients and their whānau. A qualified anaesthetist specialising in neuroanaesthesia, Sarah’s most recent role was Interim Chief Medical Officer at Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley. Sarah has led changes to models of care, and has established clinical governance boards at the district and regional level. She is chair of the Central Region Clinical Board, and anesthetic representative on the Cancer Services Planning – Surgical Services team, a group set up by Te Aho o Te Kahu, Cancer Control Agency, to look at how best to deliver surgical services to cancer patients in Aotearoa. Her previous research includes contributing to a study on ethnic disparities in postoperative mortality, with a specific focus on outcomes for Māori and non-Māori. Sarah is responsible for providing professional leadership for all quality and patient safety, working in collaboration with other clinical leads at national, regional and local levels.

Angie Smith

Co-Chair, National Quality Forum

Co-Chair, Te Whatu Ora Te Ikaroa I Central Regional Consumer Council

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(Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, Ngāi Tūhoe) Angie comes from Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, and is passionate about serving her community as an advocate for equitable health services. Her Mum had a stroke while visiting Auckland, and swift responses from medical teams led to a positive outcome. However, with her mum being elderly and Māori and living rurally in Wairoa, she has experienced challenges in receiving equitable health services, and the outcome could have been quite different. Angie’s experience with her mum led her to advocate for consumers and whānau who were harmed or who have lost a loved one and experienced trauma. She is clear that ‘we must have a say in our own health’. Consumers have the right to expect quality health services, to be treated with respect no matter their culture, religion, social and ethnic needs, values and beliefs. She feels strongly that those of us who can represent consumers and whānau should do so. She takes pride in advocating for her community, working locally with Tihei Wairoa Clinical Governance Group, having been a community representative on the regional Hawke’s Bay Health consumer council for whānau who couldn’t speak for themselves, working alongside an amazing and diverse group of people in the Te Tāhū Hauora te kāhui mahi ngātahi consumer advisory group and being supported by Te Tāhū Hauora to help strengthen consumer and whānau voices. Angie says her main message would be ‘know your rights and use your voice’.

Dr Graham Denyer

Chief Medical Officer

Tend Healthcare

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Dr Graham Denyer knows how to live life to the fullest. After receiving his medical degree at Auckland University, Graham’s natural curiosity led him to earn a Fellowship in Rural and Remote Medicine in Australia, as well as being a vocationally registered Fellow of the of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. Graham’s sense of adventure has also seen him practice medicine in some extreme environments including being based in Antarctica, working in drug rehab in Edinburgh, and in a busy emergency department in Sydney. He cut his teeth in telehealth by providing medical assistance care from Australia to Antarctica and carried it over into his next role – helping Kiwis all over the world as the medical director at an international medical assistance company. Graham is also a skilled teacher – having taught expedition medicine and advanced life support to fellow doctors, and as a course director specialising in aeromedical retrieval for the University of Otago.

Dr Jerome Ng

Clinical Director - Clinical Governance

Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau

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Bio: Born in Singapore, made in Aotearoa NZ. Dr Jerome Ng is passionate about working with people to deliver better and more equitable health outcomes and experiences through good clinical governance, innovation and improvement and informatics. He is Clinical Director: Clinical Governance at Health New Zealand Counties Manukau and Hon. Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland. His qualifications include an MBA from Durham University in the UK and a Bachelor, Masters and PhD from the University of Auckland. Jerome has a successful 20 year track record in health having held senior clinical governance and quality leadership roles, been appointed to various national and regional advisory groups and has received multiple accolades and Fellowships from his peers. An Institute of Directors Emerging Director of the Year having undertaken his associate directorship in an NZX50 listed global company, he is also a Fulbright NZ Scholar. For the Fulbright, Jerome will based in Boston, collaborating with Harvard Medical School, Brigham Women’s Hospital and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The research will look to understand, compare and contrast clinical governance operational models and systems across high quality integrated healthcare systems with a view to inform health system design and improvement.

Dr Jo Sinclair

Chief Wellbeing Officer | Consultant Anaesthetist

Te Whatu Ora | Health NZ

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As the Chief Wellbeing Officer at Health NZ, I am applying my skills and credentials in clinical leadership and organisational wellbeing to support and empower my fellow doctors and health professionals. I have over 12 years of experience as a Consultant Anaesthetist and a special interest in doctors’ health and wellbeing. I am passionate about creating a culture of courage, integrity, and compassion in the healthcare sector, promoting a psychologically safe workplace where ‘armour’ is not necessary or rewarded. I am also involved in the Health Roundtable Workplace Wellbeing Group and the ANZCA Wellbeing SIG Executive Committee, where I collaborate with other experts and stakeholders to promote best practices and innovative solutions for staff wellbeing. I believe in the words of Maya Angelou: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” There is a wealth of research out there showing the importance of a thriving healthcare workforce. We need to do better

Lisa McKenzie

Vice President, Asia Pacific

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)

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With over 20 years experience in health, aged care, disability, and community sectors, Lisa is dedicated to delivering better and more equitable outcomes. She has a reputation for co-designing strategies that transform health systems and leading impactful large-scale projects. As Vice President at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), Lisa partners with organisations across the Asia Pacific to improve the health of their communities and populations. She also advises leaders on strategy, governance and quality systems that are responsive to evolving needs. Lisa serves as a Non-Executive Director and an advisor for various nonprofit Boards at purpose-driven organisations. She has a Masters of Health Administration, a clinical background in physiotherapy and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors

Dr Jo Wailing

Founder

Restorative Responses

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Jo founded Restorative Responses in 2023 to foster collaboration, connection and enable restorative potential in health and disability systems. She collaborates with government agencies, organisations and communities interested in co-designing, commissioning or evaluating restorative initiatives. Jo has supported organisations in Aotearoa NZ, Australia, Canada, the United States, England and Scotland. Her healthcare career spans thirty years and includes clinical and national leadership roles, expertise in Human Factors – a people centred systems approach to designing and evaluating safety – policy and research. Notable contributions include the co-design and evaluation of the Ministry of Health response to surgical mesh harm and a restorative health system framework in NZ. Jo has facilitated restorative responses to workplace harms, treatment injury, and sudden death. Her research is grounded in social science and exposure to harm as a clinician, consumer and investigator. Jo has been researching the relational contribution to safety, harm and justice for over a decade and her doctoral thesis Humanising Harm surfaced how and for whom restorative responses work (or not) and in what conditions. Jo serves as Co-Chair of the National Collaborative for Restorative Initiatives in Health NZ, is a member of the Resilient Healthcare Society, and is a board member of Restorative Practices International.