The Operating Theatres Conference 2026
Join us for the 11th Annual Operating Theatres Conference, an event bringing together surgical professionals from across the UK to explore the latest innovations, strategies and best practices in operating theatre management. This year’s conference will cover critical topics such as achieving NHS Net Zero, human factors in theatre performance, high-intensity theatre (HIT) lists, 3D surgical planning, infection control, patient outcomes and staff wellbeing, providing practical insights to improve efficiency and improve patient care.
Chaired by Nigel Roberts, Deputy Assistant Divisional Director of Nursing for Theatres, Critical Care and Anaesthetics, the programme features expert speakers, interactive case studies and panel discussions designed to inspire collaboration and innovation.
At a glance
Learning Outcomes
- Opportunity to hear from those leading the way to achieve NHS Net Zero
- Examine human factors in operating theatre performance
- Explore the impact of high intensity theatre (HIT) Lists on surgical efficiency
- Discover the role of 3D Surgical Planning in complex procedures
- Understand the Importance of pressure care in the Operating Theatre
- How collaborative working can support in overcoming challenges and improve patient outcomes
- Understand the unique challenges of major Incident Response in the Operating Theatre
Agenda - Day 1
08:30
Registration, Refreshments, Exhibition and Networking
09:30
Opening Remarks from the Chair
09:40
Keynote Session: Reducing Elective Theatres Waiting Times
- What improvements are being made to work towards the 18-week waiting time target.
10:10
Digital Health Transformation: From Insight to Impact
- Discussing why data matters in healthcare.
10:40
- Understanding "why" change is needed. Bad behaviours are common and have a huge impact on patients and staff.
- Getting skills in "how" to change.
- Using resources at www.cpoc.org.uk to stop bad behaviours and share skills for good teamwork.
- Being an ally, stopping others' disrespect, being clear.
- Acknowledging different views, backgrounds and thinking styles.
11:00
Refreshments, Exhibition and Networking
11:30
Seminar Session
Session A - Back to Basics: Surgical Instruments
A basic introduction into the world of surgical instruments. Have you ever wondered why surgical instruments tarnish so frequently? What are the most common instruments or their features? This session is designed to answer these questions and provide important insight.
12:00
Panel Discussion: What Does the Future of Operating Theatres Look Like?
- Digital transformation and innovation in technology, efficiency and caring for staff, looking at how we can improve operating theatres for the future and how these changes would begin to be implemented. With the opportunity to open the discussion to the delegates with a Q&A segment to close.
12:45
Burnout and Behaviour: The Hidden Threat in Safer Surgery
13:15
Lunch, Exhibition and Networking
14:15
Updates in Orthopaedic Surgery
- Recent updates in orthopaedic surgery highlight the rapid integration of digital and technologically assisted techniques into routine practice. Advances in 3D planning and simulation now allow surgeons to rehearse complex cases with patient-specific models, improving accuracy and procedural confidence. Robotic surgery continues to expand in hip and knee arthroplasty, offering enhanced precision in bone preparation, alignment and implant positioning. Alongside these developments, innovations such as augmented reality for intraoperative guidance, and increasingly sophisticated implant materials are reshaping surgical workflows and raising expectations for outcomes. Together, these technologies are driving a shift toward more personalised, data-driven orthopaedic care.
14:45
Afternoon Keynote Session: GIRFT Project
- What advances has the programme made to date?
- How is the GIRFT programme improving outcomes and impacting waiting times.
15:15
Refreshments, Exhibition and Networking
15:45
Case Study on Patient Safety: Retained Swabs from Invasive Procedures
The number of retained swabs incidents has remained relatively constant for the last 10 years. So why no change?
Between 2022 and 2024, the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch conducted an investigation into retained swabs following invasive procedures. This presentation discusses some of the findings including:
- factors that influence how and why swabs (and other items) may be unintentionally retained
- the consideration of risk
- innovation that could reduce the risk of retained items
16:15
Burnout and Behaviour: The Hidden Threat in Safer Surgery
- Burnout and behavioural culture are two of the most influential, yet overlooked, determinants of safer surgery. In today’s perioperative environment, theatre teams are working under unprecedented pressure with chronic staffing shortages, increasing surgical demand, complex caseloads, frequent overruns, and the emotional intensity of high-stakes clinical work. These challenges, combined with system-wide pressures and increased patient needs, create conditions where burnout can thrive and behavioural standards can deteriorate.
- This session explores the human side of surgical safety, examining how burnout, mental health, and behaviour can influence team performance. Delegates will learn to recognise early warning signs in themselves and colleagues, understand how psychological load develops and appreciate the direct link between staff wellbeing and patient safety.
16:45
Closing Remarks from the Chair
16:40
Close of the Conference
Who Should Attend?
Operating Theatre Technicians, Surgeons, Operating Theatre Practitioners, Anaesthetists, Theatre Team Leaders, Theatre Managers, Theatre Directors, Surgical Care Practitioners, Surgical Assistants, First Assistant to the Surgeons, Healthcare Assistants, Theatre Support Workers, Assistant Practitioners, Hospital Operating Theatre Porters, Healthcare Assistants, Commissioning Heads, Heads of NHS, Directors of Public Health, Heads of Public Engagement, Directors of Commissioning, Heads of National/Regional Public Health Groups, Heads of Treatment and Prevention , Directors of Strategic Development.
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