On Tuesday 25th March the Council of Deans of Health held its inaugural parliamentary reception. Hosted by Baroness Hoey in the House of Lords, members from across the country attended, enjoying afternoon tea and an opportunity to meet with each other and attending parliamentarians.
Speeches from Baroness Watkins and Lord Crisp thanked members for their hard work during challenging times and set out their thoughts on the future of healthcare and healthcare education. The experience of both speakers across the education and health sectors was well-received and Lord Crisp also cited the role members could play in the Rethinking Health work on disease prevention and health creation.
The Council was pleased to welcome a range of parliamentary guests including former Northern Ireland health minister, Robin Swann MP, former universities minister Lord Johnson and former health secretary Lord Lansley. The Council team will be following up with all attendees from the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Following the events, Council CEO, Ed Hughes said:
“It was a pleasure to welcome members and guests to the House of Lords. This inaugural parliamentary reception was an opportunity to further our engagement with parliamentarians as well as to celebrate the vital work in healthcare education and research undertaken by our members.
I am grateful to Baroness Watkins and Lord Crisp for their excellent speeches and to Baroness Hoey for hosting us, providing a platform for wide-ranging discussion and debate.”