Inaugural Patient Solutions Conference in Dublin

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) played a leading role at the inaugural Patient Solutions 2025 Conference, held in Dublin on 4 November, where healthcare leaders, patient advocates, and policymakers came together to reimagine a more inclusive, innovative, and patient-centred health system.

Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Health, delivered the morning keynote and outlined priorities for system transformation including: a shift to prevention, a move toward community care, digital transformation, and a renewed focus on leadership and culture. He stressed the importance of electronic health records, real-time data collection, and the need to convert data into usable insights. Watt also emphasised that implementation, not more strategy, must now be the focus, and that leadership at all levels is essential to drive change.

RCPI’s Dr. Trevor Duffy chaired an afternoon session on Transitioning successful pilot schemes into long-term, funded solutions, guiding a thought-provoking discussion on how innovation can be a continuum ranging from optimisation to disruption. From national screening programmes to practical improvements like webinar-based patient education, the panel (Caitriona Heffernan , National Clinical Innovation Lead, HSE Spark Innovation Programme and Edel Shovlin , Chief Operating Officer, Irish Cancer Society) emphasised that innovation begins with identifying a problem and finding a solution, regardless of its size or complexity, defining the value of the innovation and ensuring patient involvement to reinforce stronger outcomes.

Throughout the conference, the theme of patient partnership was front and centre. In a powerful moment, Dr. Garrett McGovern, a GP specialising in addiction medicine, reminded attendees that patients must be at the heart of healthcare design and delivery, declaring: “Nothing about us without us.” His words echoed across sessions, reinforcing the idea that patients must be co-designers of care, not passive recipients.

Sessions such as Aligning Healthcare with Patient Need and Unheard Voices: Lived Experience Driving Patient-Centred Care Solutions showcased how patient stories and lived experience can drive meaningful change. Gary Boyle, Patient Advocate and Vice President of Parkinson’s Europe, shared his personal experience of receiving a diagnosis, highlighting the need for empathy and human connection in clinical communication. Susan Treacy, CEO of HealthTech Ireland, called for co-creation to become a continuous practice, not a one-off initiative, and praised models like IPPOSI for giving patients a real seat at the table. The need for standardised discharge plans was also raised, with examples shared of discharge planning in paediatric oncology and suggestions for online discharge letters linking patients to support resources.

The session on Transforming Healthcare with Personalised Medicine discussed the challenges of equitable access to new treatments. Experts called for better integration of research and clinical care, and for personalised approaches to extend beyond oncology. The importance of data-driven planning and patient ownership of health records was repeatedly emphasised.

Meanwhile, the panel on Tackling Healthcare Accessibility and Inequalities brought attention to the lived realities of patients facing systemic barriers. Caoimhe Gleeson, General Manager, National Office for Human Rights and Equality Policy, HSE highlighted the financial and logistical burdens faced by many in accessing care. Jacqueline Daly, Director, East Galway Midlands cancer support & United Cancer Advocates Network (UCAN) spoke about the critical role of local organisations in helping patients navigate access to radiotherapy, new medicines, and basic supports like transport and food. Lora Ruth Wogu, Founder & Managing Coordinator, Migrant Health Alliance Ireland / Founder & CEO, Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Ireland, emphasised the additional barriers faced by undocumented individuals, including language, cultural preferences, and fear of engagement with services.

RCPI’s presence at the conference reflected its ongoing commitment to clinical leadership, innovation, and patient partnership and RCPI’s role in shaping a healthcare system that is not only efficient and digitally enabled, but also compassionate, inclusive, and responsive to the voices of those it serves.

As Ireland continues to navigate complex healthcare challenges, events like Patient Solutions 2025 offer a vital platform for collaboration, reflection, and action. RCPI remains at the forefront of this movement, championing a future where patients are partners, and innovation is driven by empathy, evidence, and equity.

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) played a leading role at the inaugural Patient Solutions 2025 Conference, held in Dublin on 4 November, where healthcare leaders, patient advocates, and policymakers came together to reimagine a more inclusive, innovative, and patient-centred health system.

Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Health, delivered the morning keynote and outlined priorities for system transformation including: a shift to prevention, a move toward community care, digital transformation, and a renewed focus on leadership and culture. He stressed the importance of electronic health records, real-time data collection, and the need to convert data into usable insights. Watt also emphasised that implementation, not more strategy, must now be the focus, and that leadership at all levels is essential to drive change.

RCPI’s Dr. Trevor Duffy chaired an afternoon session on Transitioning successful pilot schemes into long-term, funded solutions, guiding a thought-provoking discussion on how innovation can be a continuum ranging from optimisation to disruption. From national screening programmes to practical improvements like webinar-based patient education, the panel (Caitriona Heffernan , National Clinical Innovation Lead, HSE Spark Innovation Programme and Edel Shovlin , Chief Operating Officer, Irish Cancer Society) emphasised that innovation begins with identifying a problem and finding a solution, regardless of its size or complexity, defining the value of the innovation and ensuring patient involvement to reinforce stronger outcomes.

Throughout the conference, the theme of patient partnership was front and centre. In a powerful moment, Dr. Garrett McGovern, a GP specialising in addiction medicine, reminded attendees that patients must be at the heart of healthcare design and delivery, declaring: “Nothing about us without us.” His words echoed across sessions, reinforcing the idea that patients must be co-designers of care, not passive recipients.

Sessions such as Aligning Healthcare with Patient Need and Unheard Voices: Lived Experience Driving Patient-Centred Care Solutions showcased how patient stories and lived experience can drive meaningful change. Gary Boyle, Patient Advocate and Vice President of Parkinson’s Europe, shared his personal experience of receiving a diagnosis, highlighting the need for empathy and human connection in clinical communication. Susan Treacy, CEO of HealthTech Ireland, called for co-creation to become a continuous practice, not a one-off initiative, and praised models like IPPOSI for giving patients a real seat at the table. The need for standardised discharge plans was also raised, with examples shared of discharge planning in paediatric oncology and suggestions for online discharge letters linking patients to support resources.

The session on Transforming Healthcare with Personalised Medicine discussed the challenges of equitable access to new treatments. Experts called for better integration of research and clinical care, and for personalised approaches to extend beyond oncology. The importance of data-driven planning and patient ownership of health records was repeatedly emphasised.

Meanwhile, the panel on Tackling Healthcare Accessibility and Inequalities brought attention to the lived realities of patients facing systemic barriers. Caoimhe Gleeson, General Manager, National Office for Human Rights and Equality Policy, HSE highlighted the financial and logistical burdens faced by many in accessing care. Jacqueline Daly, Director, East Galway Midlands cancer support & United Cancer Advocates Network (UCAN) spoke about the critical role of local organisations in helping patients navigate access to radiotherapy, new medicines, and basic supports like transport and food. Lora Ruth Wogu, Founder & Managing Coordinator, Migrant Health Alliance Ireland / Founder & CEO, Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Ireland, emphasised the additional barriers faced by undocumented individuals, including language, cultural preferences, and fear of engagement with services.

RCPI’s presence at the conference reflected its ongoing commitment to clinical leadership, innovation, and patient partnership and RCPI’s role in shaping a healthcare system that is not only efficient and digitally enabled, but also compassionate, inclusive, and responsive to the voices of those it serves.

As Ireland continues to navigate complex healthcare challenges, events like Patient Solutions 2025 offer a vital platform for collaboration, reflection, and action. RCPI remains at the forefront of this movement, championing a future where patients are partners, and innovation is driven by empathy, evidence, and equity.