East of England 2025 HFMA Annual Conference Competition

Launch of the East of England 2025 HFMA Annual Conference Competition.

Hi Everyone,

We are delighted to launch the fifth Annual HFMA Conference competition for the East of England region. This year we have 8 x 3-day conference passes available to attend the event in London from 3-5 December 2025.

Please see details below for the all-important application information.

Who can apply and how to apply?

If you work in Finance at grade 8a or below you can nominate yourself or be nominated by a line manager or work colleague by submitting an Application form

Please ensure you have the support of the nominee’s line manager as winners will be out of the office for 3 days at month end.

Closing date for nominations is Friday 5th September. 

Why should you apply?

This competition provides an opportunity for those who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to attend the national HFMA conference to be able to go, it also supports the winners in their preparation for the event, assists their networking opportunities at the conference and aids ongoing career progression, not to mention building friendships along the way.

It is aimed at improving representation at all levels within NHS Finance reflecting the diverse nature of our workforce. Many senior figures within NHS Finance come together and this competition provides an opportunity to hear from and personally interact with finance leaders from across the country.

In addition, and new for 2025, HFMA has given each region 8 day tickets to celebrate their 75th Anniversary, so these will be offered to unsuccessful competition nominees – even more ways to attend this industry leading event.

But don’t just take my word for it, take a minute to watch this video from Hardev Virdee, Group CFO at Barts NHS Trust (view video) who is a champion of the competition.

We also have messages from last year’s competition winners on why you should apply:

The Annual HFMA conference was such a great experience. I made so many new connections with colleagues who are now a valuable part of my expanded network and discovered several new opportunities for my professional and personal development. The speakers were inspirational and the whole process boosted my confidence and motivation. I thoroughly recommend anyone interested to apply, you won’t regret it!

Keren Walker, Management Accountant – Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Children & Young People – BLMK ICB

I was lucky to win a place at the 2023 HFMA Annual Conference. The Conference is a fantastic event in every possible way, from the speakers, networking opportunities, support – before, during and after the event and even the food!

Looking back at my application, I was proud of the work I had achieved and submitted as part of the submission, although I never believed I would be selected. My hope was by attending the conference this would push me outside my comfort zone and improve my confidence. The buddy system and support offered really helped improve my confidence and enabled me to network successfully with finance colleagues.

Since the conference I have continued to gain confidence, I now seek out networking opportunities, and the new contacts/ friends made has enabled me to collaborative work across NHS Finance, this has enabled me to develop further within my current finance role. I cannot recommend enough to apply and use this opportunity. It really was fantastic!

Kate Walpole, Senior Accounts Assistant, NHS Norfolk & Waveney ICB

How is the competition judged?

A panel will review the nominations and award places on merit, ideally ensuring a fair spread across the ICSs. Points are awarded for the nomination itself, additional points are available for those identifying with LGBTQIA+; Minority Ethnic groups, Women in Leadership, Disability/Neurodiversity/Impairment or Long-Term Conditions. And if you are an active ONF Value Maker an additional point can be secured. All this information should be included into your application to ensure you secure maximum points.

The panel members will include me, past winners and other regional representatives.

Support before, during and after the conference:

  • Before the event you will be invited to a one-to-one meeting with your Director of Finance
  • You will be invited to join a series of introductory sessions via Teams to meet NHSE senior finance staff and hear about networking tips and what to expect at and from the conference
  • Last year we introduced nationwide winners’ coffee roulette, where a small group of winners from all 7 regions will be able to meet up virtually before the conference. We’re doing the same again this year and it really helps to build networks so that you can feel more confident once you arrive at the venue and throughout the conference.
  • You will be assigned a buddy/chaperone ahead of the conference to help you prepare for the conference. Buddies will be an experienced system partner finance professional to ensure that you are able maximise the networking opportunities whilst there. We’ll be setting up introductory meeting for winners and buddies earlier than in previous years based on feedback
  • Your buddy will be a chaperone for you for the early part of the conference – by the end of the week you won’t need one!
  • You will be invited to join regional colleagues after the conference to feedback on the whole experience and I’m sure you’ll want to share your experience with your finance teams.

This really is a fantastic opportunity so please submit your application or nominate someone in your team today.

For any questions about the application process please contact Lorraine at Lorraine.bromley-martin@nhs.net

Zoe

Zoe Pietrzak (pronounced P-et-shark, pronouns she/her)

Regional Director of Finance

NHS England – East of England Region