The UCL Health Policy and Management Society 2026 Spring Term Report

Written By Theodore Spaliviero-Shaw

2026 has proven to be an action-packed year. If you're a Year 2 med student like me, that has meant wading through a seemingly never-ending swamp of Anki cards. At the Health Policy and Management Society (HPM), however, we have been wading through something rather different: the world of health policy, engaging with key stakeholders and grappling with the practicalities of real-world decision-making.

January saw us discuss the future of the NHS in a fireside talk with Danny Beales MP, member of the Health and Social Care Select Committee. In one of our best-attended events, we explored a range of topics from Mr Beales’ unique journey into health policy to the opportunities and challenges of AI integration into healthcare.

In February, HPM voyaged to both Parliament and Greenwich to participate in the Health Education and Training Inquiry, investigating the healthcare education bottleneck. Led by one of our term one speakers, Rhiannon Tuckett-Jones, from the thinktank Policy Connect, we scrutinised recent advancements in medical education, including advancements in simulations and new education models. 

March was the month of panel debates. We attended the New Statesman Igniting Growth Conference, exploring the intersection between the healthcare sector and UK growth (alongside critiquing a fine selection of canapes and coffees). We concluded term two with a thought-provoking debate with the RUMS Review, examining the UK End of Life Bill, deconstructing the ethical contentions, and constructing pragmatic policy.

All told, HPM has spent this year peering into the inner workings of the healthcare system through a policy lens. And while we all batten down the hatches for a studious term three, HPM is locking down an exciting agenda for Autumn. Watch this space.

Read the rest of the edition here.