Published 22/12/2025

Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) was proud to play an active role at this year’s Developing Excellence in Medical Education Conference (DEMEC25), held on 8 - 9 December at ICC Birmingham. The event brought together leaders and innovators from across the UK to explore the future of medical education and workforce development.

HEIW was well represented throughout the programme, showcasing our commitment to inclusive education, leadership development, and workforce planning.

Several of our medical deanery directors and our medical director were involved in plenaries and workshops/symposia including on topics related to national education and training priorities and neurodiversity. Our two HEIW Welsh Clinical Leadership Fellows, Parisa Torabi and Matthew Spencer both co-chaired abstract presentations. HEIW were well represented in poster publications including on return to training and the experiences of neurodivergent doctors.

Alongside these sessions, HEIW hosted an exhibition stand, engaging with colleagues from across the UK to share insights on workforce planning, recruitment, retention and preparing NHS Wales for the future.

Reflecting on the event, Ian Collings, Director of Professional Support & Development said “opportunities such as DEMEC are of huge importance and value, not only do we have the chance to see each other outside the virtual world, but we also have the opportunity to sow the seeds of collaboration on a national and international level”.

Attendance at DEMEC25 enables HEIW to remain aligned with national and UK-wide best practice in medical education, ensuring that doctors training and working in Wales benefit from the most current, evidence-based educational approaches. This directly supports safer, higher-quality patient care delivered by a well-prepared medical workforce.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at DEMEC25. We look forward to continuing these conversations and shaping the future of health and care together.