Every year, when we’ve settled the conference programme down, I like to reflect on what I think will be highlights and conversations not to be missed. Of course, my choices don’t mean I think some presentations will be better than others. It just means, for me, subjectively, these are the ones I won’t be missing. You may have a difference view.

My eye is immediately drawn to Jeff Wicks who has been at there centre of the investigations into the Tembisa Hospital procurement scandal that cost Babita Deokaran her life. There are lessons, he will point out, for the private sector. Procurement corruption is not solely a public sector malady.

Immediately before Jeff, Bhavna Patel will direct a conversation about achieving operational success in large public entities with 5 luminaries – the heads of Groote Schuur, Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, the Chief Director of the new Desmond Tutu School of Medicine, and the Donal Gordon Medical Centre. A higher profile group of facility managers you simply will not find.

There are loads of other interesting slots: the discussion during the Quality Summit about there impact of neurodivergence and transgedering on the healthcare system, for instance, or perspectives on how far treatment should go at the end of life. It’ll also be interesting to listen in to the discussion of the future of nursing given today’s headlines about Gauteng losing 100 nurses per month as retirement numbers overtake newcomers in the profession.

And keep an eye on tantalising discussions about the state of medical schemes, affordability, and their impacts, and a possible solution presented by Christoff Raath that continues to bubble under the surface.

I’ve only scratched the surface, but these are my choices. What are yours? Check out the programmes at https://conferencehasa.co.za and use the same address if you haven’t registered yet.

See you at the Sandton Convention Centre from 30 September to 2 October.