Driving Race Equity Conference 2026

Driving Race Equity: Strategies for anti-racist health and care systems

13th July 2026

A one day conference dedicated to advancing racial equity across the NHS and wider health and care landscape. 

The conference’s theme reflects our shared regional ambition to build a system where fairness, dignity, and inclusion are non-negotiable – and where racially equitable care is consistently delivered through courageous leadership, structural reform, and authentic partnerships with communities.  

The event will bring together leaders, partners, and community voices from across the region.

Learning objectives

By the end of the conference, participants will:  

  • Understand and address the systemic drivers of racial inequalities in health and care.
  • Apply evidence-based, anti-racist approaches to embed racial equity in health improvement.
  • Strengthen leadership with confidence and accountability.
  • Understand the benefit of and how to build and sustain authentic partnerships with communities.  

The conference is a proud collaboration between NHS England North West, NHS North West Race Equity Assembly (formerly NW BAME Assembly), NHS North West Leadership Academy, North West ADASS, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, Manchester City Council, and the North West Anti-Racism Public Health Collaborative, with the event hosted by BRAP.

Agenda

9.30am Arrival and refreshments 
10.00am Keynote and panel discussions 
12.15pm Lunch and networking 
1.00pm Keynote 
1.30pm Workshops 
2.30pm Refreshment break 
2.40pm Workshops 
3.40pm Closing comments 
4.00pm Finish 

Speakers

Joy Warmington

Host

We are delighted to welcome Joy Warmington as our host for the day. Joy is CEO of brap, one of the UK’s leading equality and justice organisations, where she leads pioneering work on anti-racist leadership, organisational change, and systems transformation.

For over two decades, Joy has worked with public sector organisations, charities, health systems, boards, and senior leadership teams to address racism and inequality by transforming how power is understood, exercised, and shared.​

At the heart of Joy’s work is a belief that meaningful change requires more than policies, strategies, or statements of intent. Through brap’s innovative approach to embodied antiracist practice, she helps leaders examine their assumptions, confront the ways racism operates within organisations, and develop the courage and capability to lead differently.​

Joy has held senior leadership roles across local government, the NHS, and thevoluntary sector. She is Chair of Trustees at ActionAid UK, a Non-Executive Director at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and a Visiting Professor at Middlesex University Business School. She holds an MSc, a Postgraduate Diploma in Multicultural Education, a Certificate in Process-Oriented Psychology from the Deep Democracy Institute in Oregon and is currently qualifying as a psychotherapist.​

In 2019, Joy was awarded an MBE for services to healthcare and communities in the West Midlands. Through brap’s research and practice, she continues to influence national conversations on race, leadership, and organisational change. In 2024, she co-authored, with Roger Kline, the influential report Too Hot To Handle, examining racism and accountability within the NHS.​
Headshot of Joy Warmington

Fatima Khan-Shah

The Future of Anti-Racist Health and Care Systems: From commitment to transformation

Fatima Khan-Shah is a highly respected strategic advisor, board-level leader and influential voice on inclusive system change. She is known for helping organisations navigate complexity, strengthen credibility and deliver meaningful impact across health, public service and wider civic systems.

With a career spanning strategy, governance, performance improvement and inequalities, Fatima has built a strong reputation for turning ambition into practical, sustainable change. Her work has shaped award-winning initiatives and contributed to national policy and legislative developments across equality, diversity and inclusion, social value, long-term conditions, personalisation, stakeholder involvement and carer support.

Fatima is particularly recognised for her leadership on social, economic and health inequalities. She supports organisations to embed inclusion not as a peripheral commitment, but as a core driver of better decision-making, improved outcomes and stronger public trust.

She holds a number of senior non-executive and advisory roles, including Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Sheffield Race Equality Partnership. Nationally, she contributes through her roles on the NHS Assembly and The King’s Fund General Council, bringing insight, challenge and system-wide perspective to some of the most pressing issues facing public services.

Alongside her board and advisory portfolio, Fatima is an established podcaster and blogger, with a respected voice on authentic leadership, inclusion, public and carer involvement, and reducing inequalities.

Fatima brings a distinctive combination of strategic judgement, values-led leadership and system influence,  helping organisations shape change that is credible, ambitious and enduring.
Photograph of Fatima Khan-Shah

Professor Habib Naqvi MBE

Understanding harm – what’s the cost of racialised oppression and inequality?

Habib is Chief Executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, which leads work nationally on identifying and tackling ethnic inequalities in health and healthcare.

He is accountable for organisation-wide strategic planning, performance, oversight and delivery. Habib directs the successful implementation of a far-reaching multi-year, multi-million pound work programme with measurable outcomes. He leads national health policy and is responsible for strategic global partnerships that address systemic health inequalities affecting patients, communities, and the healthcare workforce.

His prior role was Interim Director of the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard at NHS England, where Habib oversaw the national strategic and operational delivery of the aspirations on workforce race equality as set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

Habib joined the NHS in 2001 and managed large public health research programmes in the South West of England. He spent several years working at the Department of Health and Social Care where he led national equality and diversity policy, including on the health sector’s response to the UK government’s review of the Public Sector Equality Duty. He joined NHS England in 2013, where he directed the development and implementation of national programmes, including the Equality Delivery System (EDS), and the award-winning NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard.

He is a member of numerous committees and advisory boards. He volunteers as a trustee of the Mary Seacole Trust, and as a Board Member at Somerset County Cricket Club. Habib was awarded an MBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to equality and diversity in the NHS, he received a Fellowship through distinction at the Faculty of Public Health in 2023 and was awarded the title of Honorary Visiting Professor of Health Equity at the Queen’s Institute for Medicine at the University of Bolton. Habib is listed in the Health Service Journal’s ‘100 most influential people in health’.
Photograph of Habib Naqvi MBE

Site Information

The Driving Race Equity conference will take place at The Edge Wigan in Wigan (WN3 5AB).

Photo of The Edge, Wigan

Reaching The Edge Wigan is straightforward whether you’re travelling by public transport or by car.

Address

The Edge

Riveredge,

Wigan,

WN3 5AB

By public transport

The nearest rail stations are Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western, roughly 10 minutes on foot from the station.

Several bus routes operate from both Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western to the venue, including the 352, 602, 604, 610 and 641.

By car

If you’re driving, you can plan your route easily using Google Maps; this link opens directions directly: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sYfkgrp3JY4Z8v7r5

The Edge has parking available on site; vehicle owners must enter their car registration at reception to avoid charges.

Facilities

The Edge is a fully wheelchair accessible venue. A prayer room and a multifaith room are available on site. Should you wish to use these, please ask a member of the events team.

The venue has an on-site cafe, Postcode Coffee House.

The Edge is committed to providing local social value and supports a number of local health and care initiatives, including an on-site food bank. Delegates may bring food bank donations to the venue if they wish to do so.

Frequently Asked Questions

This conference is open to executive and senior leaders from health and care, local government, and voluntary sectors to support system-wide representation. We welcome chairs, chief executives and board-level executive sponsors for anti-racism/race and health equity, and equivalent roles across health and care organisations. 
No. The conference is free of charge for attendees. It is fully funded by the NHS North West Leadership Academy and conference partners as part of our commitment to developing inclusive leadership and advancing racial equity across the NHS and wider public sector. Tickets have limited availability, so book to avoid disappointment.
The conference will deliver expert insights, evidence-based learning and collaboration, all of which will help NHS and public sector leaders in their work on anti-racism. The NHS North West Leadership Academy and conference partners are committed to responsible public sector spending, and all our providers undergo a competitive procurement process.
Yes. Tea, coffee, water, and a fully catered buffet lunch will be provided. Please notify us of any dietary requirements when registering.
Stay informed by subscribing to the NHS North West Leadership Academy newsletter and following our social media channels. We will also post any updates or detailed programme information on the NWLA website and on the conference event page as the date approaches.
The conference venue will be accessible, and we are committed to inclusion. If you have any specific requirements (such as mobility access, hearing or vision support, dietary restrictions, etc.), please indicate them when you register or contact us beforehand. We will make every effort to accommodate your needs.
For any additional questions, please contact the NHS North West Leadership Academy team. We will be happy to provide further assistance and ensure you have the information you need.

Explore

Read our latest blog:

Building anti‑racist leadership in the NHS: a North West perspective

Listen to our podcast episode on Spotify:

Leadership Live | Anti-racist leadership