Report from Laura Kavanagh National Patient and Service User Lead on the International Foundation for Integrated Care Conference 2026
18 May 2026
Integrated care starts with relationships.
Relationships grow through partnership.
On 12 May 2026, people from across the health sector came together around the topic of integrated care – under the thoughtful stewardship of Áine Carroll, Co-Director of IFIC Ireland and Chair of the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC).
One message came through clearly and consistently during the day: relationships matter – with people and partners.
Toby Lowe, Professor of Public Management at the Manchester Metropolitan University and Visiting Professor at the Centre for Public Impact in the UK challenged how public services are organised, funded and governed. Public services work best (and cost less) when people, communities and professionals come together in partnership. But these relationships are not “delivered”, they need to be “built” and “nurtured”.
At a more macro level, if we want more health and public services centred on relationships, then we need to move away from services and systems driven by targets and move towards services and systems focused on outcomes that matters to people. With this focus, instead of asking: “What can we do for you within what we are able/willing to offer?” – we reframe our curiosity to ask: “Who are you, and together what does a good life look like?”
Beyond the individual and their care, relationships can support service design and delivery, policy and programme development, research and innovation, and organisational governance and change. Stacey Grealis, self-advocate and patient partner with IFIC Ireland, reinforced a clear message from the patient and service user community. People closest to the issues must be central to the design and management of the services and the system. “If you are one of the people who is out there in the cracks and the gaps, you know what the risks are, you know what the solutions are, you know where the efficiencies are.” Services and systems that ignore human experience eventually fail. When systems stop listening, stop adapting, and stop responding to people, they lose legitimacy and effectiveness.
Listening to Toby, Stacey and other speakers, the simple but powerful focus on people is heartening. Success should not be measured in productivity; success should be measured on improved experiences and outcomes. The challenge ahead is not to add relationships into existing system, the challenge ahead is to redesign the system around relationships – around partnership. That starts by listening differently, sharing power, and recognising that care, connection, and belonging are not extras – they are the very backbone of public service.
The full programme can be found here and presentation slides are on the AICIC 2026 website.