This year's Confed wasn't just informative. It was energising. It was hopeful. It was a reminder that the NHS has the talent, the ideas and the will – and that organisations like Abicare Hospital@Home have models that can help deliver meaningful change.

Sir James Mackey, CEO of NHS England, opened with the question that underpins every transformation effort: How do we spread what works – at pace, at scale and with consistency?

For us, that's the sweet spot. Hospital@Home works. It frees beds, reduces variation, improves outcomes and restores dignity. The challenge now is scaling it across systems, and Confed made it clear that the appetite is there.

One of the most exciting insights was Project 100, a bold model proving that primary care variation can be reduced rapidly in just 100 days.

This kind of pace aligns perfectly with Abicare's Hospital@Home approach:

• Rapid mobilisation

• Clear governance

• Measurable outcomes

• System-wide impact

It's proof that when systems commit, change doesn't have to take years.

Another standout theme was the Blueprint for Left Shift – a practical, evidence-based roadmap for moving care out of hospital beds and into homes and communities.

This is exactly where Hospital@Home shines and where the NHS needs capacity most.

Rebecca was particularly inspired by the session on early insights from the National Frailty Improvement Collaborative. And when Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, President of the British Geriatrics Society, spoke about overcoming barriers to age-attuned systems, the message was powerful: frailty care must be proactive, personalised and delivered where people feel safest. That's the essence of Hospital@Home.

A recurring theme across sessions was clear: communities aren't recipients – they're partners.

The session on equitable community public sector partnerships reinforced that neighbourhood health models thrive when communities co-design solutions.

The Neighbourhood Health Playbook session took this further, offering practical insights into what works when developing local, integrated, community-rooted models.

Abicare Hospital@Home's approach – working with communities, not just in them – fits seamlessly into this future.

Integrated care is evolving fast. Early insights showed how prevention and population health strategies can reduce acute demand and improve outcomes.

Rebecca and Steve left with a renewed sense of how Abicare Hospital@Home can support ICBs to deliver these ambitions – not as a bolt-on, but as a core component of system redesign.

The Strategic Commissioners Development Programme was another highlight.

ICBs are shifting from operational firefighting to strategic, long-term commissioning, and they need partners who can deliver:

• Scalable models

• Proven outcomes

• Robust governance

• System-level impact

Abicare Hospital@Home is already aligned with this direction of travel.

A refreshingly honest session tackled the big question: How do we fund the future of care?

New financial flows, blended budgets and outcomes-based commissioning models are emerging, designed to support exactly the kind of neighbourhood-based, community-delivered care that Abicare Hospital@Home provides.

The NHS Treats Illness – Who Creates Health?

One of the most thought-provoking discussions explored how financial flows can support neighbourhood health.

The takeaway? Health is created in communities, not hospitals, and funding models must reflect that reality.

The Future – or the End – of Primary Care?

Dr Tracey Vell MBE delivered a powerful session on the future of primary care.

Her message was clear: primary care isn't dying – it's transforming. Models like Abicare Hospital@Home are part of that transformation, offering capacity, continuity and community-based clinical excellence.

Round Tables That Hit Hard

Two round-table sessions left a lasting impression:

• "I'm a patient – get me out of here." A raw look at patient flow, discharge challenges and the emotional toll of long hospital stays.

• "Hospital at Home: The Holy Grail..." And yes – when done well, it truly is: safe, scalable, dignified and transformative.