Reflections on VUNHST's Medical Engagement Conference: clinical best practice crosses borders

As part of FMLM's ongoing work to better engage in the devolved nations, FMLM CEO Professor Rich Withnall, joined colleagues at Velindre University NHS Trust to speak at its Medical Engagement Conference. Here, he reflects on the event. 

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I was delighted and honoured to give a keynote and spend a memorable day at the Velindre University NHS Trust Medical Engagement Conference 2025 at Glamorgan County Cricket Club.  Huge thanks to Dr Jaz Abraham (Executive Medical Director), David Donegan (Chief Executive) and Prof Donna Mead (Chair, VUNHST) for their kind invitations.  It was brilliant to meet Dr Nathan Ivey, a Welsh National Clinical Fellow, too.

It was a privilege to reflect on the life and work of Julian Tudor Hart with Donna, and to consider how addressing the Inverse Care Law (Lancet, 1971) must remain a priority for all healthcare leaders and managers. David’s vision for Velindre, underpinned by sustaining and building upon its existing excellence, recognising the importance of compassionate leadership, and remembering that followership is a key component of good leadership was inspiring. In bringing significant experience from his time as CEO of Cork University Hospitals Group, which includes the largest tertiary teaching hospital in the Irish Health System (CUH), a number of district general hospitals and a range of community clinics and facilities, it is clear that the future of Velindre is in very safe hands.  Great to see the instant “followership” of every expert speaker picking up on David’s vegetable analogy of comparing leeks and parsnips!  As Max Boyce would say though, sadly I still have a “black band around my leek” following the Six Nations opener in Paris.  I hope the lads go better in the Stadio Olimpico in Round Two…. 

With the Conference being a celebration of this class-leading organisations past, present and future, it was great to learn of Velindre’s ground-breaking Research & Development, including an update on the Cardiff Cancer Research Hub, how population-level data is influencing care delivery, and successful recruitment strategies are pushing forward important and encouraging radiotherapy trials.  

Development of Velindre’s future workforce was impressive, from sophisticated internal medical education and training programmes, to support with preparation for Royal College examinations, and capacity-building Radiology initiatives.  It was clear the Trust is committed to supporting multiprofessional colleagues’ developmental journeys.  

As ever, it was brilliant to hear from Prof Phil Kloer, a former FMLM Trustee, who is now Chief Executive of Hywel Dda University Health Board.  Phil shared his leadership journey, reflecting on how his time as a Medical Director informed his development into a Chief Executive Officer and the importance of balancing ethos, pathos, logos (and, with apologies to Aristotle, kairos).

Updates on immune-oncology (IO), the amazing IO Tox Service, the UK’s first Endocrine MDT, and advanced cancer therapeutics proved how investing in upstream therapeutic prevention reduces multi-organ toxicity and the need for hospitalisation.  It was clear that Velindre’s establishment and chairing of the National IO Education Forum and Immunobuddies podcasts are now benefiting patients not only across the UK, but as far away as Australia.  Enhanced pathways to manage Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP), the sixth commonest cause of cancer death that often presents at Stage 4, are improving the quantity and quality of life, and excellent system leadership and transfusion education within the Welsh Blood Service and Velindre Cancer Service are improving measurable positive patient outcomes.

Overall, a brilliant day that exemplifies how an organisation does not need to be the biggest to be the best, and how clinical best practice and lessons learned should necessarily cross-borders for the benefit of the patients we serve locally, nationally and internationally.

A huge thank you to Elizabeth Eddie and the whole organising team, and a special thank you to Jaz.  Not only is she an amazing VUNHST Executive Medical Director, she is a highly valued, continuous source of support, guidance, wisdom and inspiration for FMLM in Wales.  I am really looking forward to FMLM-Velindre’s future work together.  

Diolch yn fawr iawn am ddiwrnod qwych.  

Professor Rich Withnall
FMLM CEO