All Ireland Conference on Integrated Care

Tuesday, 12 May 2026 | University College Dublin

From Goodwill to Good Systems: Leadership and Governance for Integrated Care That Works

The All-Ireland Conference on Integrated Care (AICIC26) From Goodwill to Good Systems: Leadership and Governance for Integrated Care That Works in association with the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC), IFIC Ireland, and key system partners took place on Tuesday, 12 May 2026 at University College Dublin.

The conference brought together policymakers, health and social care leaders, clinicians, researchers, practitioners, managers, and people with lived experience from across Ireland who are engaged in the design, delivery, and leadership of integrated care. Delegates explored how integrated care systems can move beyond reliance on professional goodwill and informal coordination toward stronger governance, clearer accountability, and more sustainable system design.

Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, and shared learning from across the health and social care sector, the conference examined the leadership, governance, workforce, and infrastructure conditions required to support integrated care at scale. Discussions reflected on the progress made through Sláintecare, the development of Regional Health Areas, workforce reform, and digital transformation, while also recognising ongoing challenges including fragmented systems, variation in delivery, reform fatigue, and dependence on individual champions.

In doing so, AICIC26 created an important national forum for discussion, collaboration, and shared learning on the future of integrated care in Ireland. The conference highlighted common opportunities and challenges across the system and explored practical approaches to building coordinated, resilient, and person-centred models of care that can be sustained over time.

Read the AICIC26 Conference Report

Conference Themes

Leadership Across Boundaries

How is leadership evolving in multidisciplinary and cross-organisational environments?

What models support relational, distributed and adaptive leadership in complex systems?

How can leaders manage shared authority while maintaining clear accountability?

What evidence links leadership behaviours to improved integration outcomes?

Governance and Accountability for Integrated Care

How must governance frameworks adapt to reflect integrated delivery models?
How can assurance, regulation and professional governance enable rather than constrain collaboration?

What structures clarify responsibility across acute, community and regional settings?

How can performance measurement better align with population health, equity and person-centred outcomes?

Digital Infrastructure and Information Sharing

How are shared care records and interoperable systems supporting integrated practice?

What governance and privacy models enable safe data sharing across sectors?

How can digital tools reduce duplication and administrative burden?

What lessons have emerged from digital transformation initiatives in supporting system integration?

Workforce Sustainability and Capability

How are organisations strengthening interdisciplinary capability and shared competencies?

What strategies support culture change in complex, risk-sensitive environments?

How can workforce planning reflect population needs and integrated models of care?

What approaches sustain staff wellbeing and resilience while reform continues?

Community, Equity and Population-Based Care

How are Regional Health Areas and local systems embedding population-based planning?

What models strengthen co-production and shared decision-making with communities?

How can integrated care address health inequalities and cultural barriers?

What governance mechanisms support equitable and inclusive service redesign?

From Innovation to System Scale

Why do strong local innovations struggle to spread?

What funding, governance and sponsorship conditions enable scale?

How can evaluation be embedded from the outset to support learning and adaptation?

What distinguishes system redesign from isolated pilot activity?

Presentations

Access all the presentations for this conference:

All conference presentations

All conference posters

Conference Photos

All conference photos

Speakers

Dr Sarah Barry

Director of Academic Programmes

Deputy Head of School - Education

Senior Lecturer

School of Population Health

Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI)

Eibhlin Byrne

National Lead

Civic Engagement, Dept of Justice,
Home Affairs and Migration

Government of Ireland

Tony Canavan

Regional Executive Officer

West and North West

Professor Áine Carroll

Co-Director of IFIC Ireland

Professor of Healthcare Integration and Improvement/Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine  at University College Dublin

Paul Cavanagh

Director

Neighbourhood Care

Department of Health

Strategic and Planning Group (SPPG)

Department of Health

HSCNI

Prof Catherine Darker

Professor in Health Services Research

School of Medicine
Trinity College Dublin

Angela Fitzgerald

Chief Executive

HIQA

Sharon Foley

Chief Executive Officer

Family Carers Ireland

Kate Frazer

Associate Professor

School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
University College Dublin (UCD)

Stacey Grealis

Patient Partner

The Centre for Arthritis Research in UCD, a leader in citizens science and a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Integrated Care