On 26 March 2025, more than 150 healthcare leaders, frontline staff, and lived experience advisors came together for the Mental Health in Hospitals Leadership Summit, hosted by We Can Talk.
The summit marked an important turning point. After four years of delivering training nationally in partnership with NHS England, We Can Talk is now focused on supporting local systems to embed real, lasting change across hospital settings.
Why We’re Here
This event brought together people from across the system—acute hospital teams, mental health leaders, peer support workers and more—with a shared aim: to improve the experience of people attending hospital due to their mental health, and the staff who support them.
Opening the event, lived experience advisors Bhav and Hemlata welcomed attendees and set out the day’s core themes: Communication, Safety, and Empowerment. Each session explored these areas through lived experience reflections, hospital case studies, and open discussion.
Leadership at Every Level
Senior NHS leaders joined the conversation to reflect on the progress so far—and the work ahead.
Elaine Bowden from NHS England spoke about the importance of recognising acute hospital staff as a vital part of the mental health workforce, and how national leadership has helped open doors for training to reach trusts across the country.
Michelle Johnson MBE, National Clinical Executive Director at NHS Supply Chain, and We Can Talk Advisory Board Memeber, reflected on the role of senior leaders in driving culture change—reminding attendees that investing in training isn’t a sign of failure, but a sign of commitment. When trusts prioritise this work, it improves patient care, supports staff, and strengthens organisational culture.
Robin Barker: Calling for Change
Robin Barker, mental health nurse, CEO and founder of We Can Talk, delivered a sharp challenge to the system. He pointed out the uncomfortable truth that while mental health is regularly discussed in boardrooms, it’s still not being properly resourced in practice.
“We don’t need another working group. We don’t need another strategy. We need action. Because staff are ready. And patients can’t wait.”
Robin laid out the next step: from April, We Can Talk will launch a new one-hour e-learning module, designed for all hospital staff. It’s practical, affordable, and built to be part of everyday practice—not an optional extra.
🎥 Watch Robin’s full talk via LinkedIn
What’s Next
As We Can Talk shifts from a national programme to locally owned delivery, there’s an opportunity for trusts to take real ownership of this work.
Because this isn’t about pilot projects or one-off initiatives. It’s about changing culture. Supporting staff. And making sure that people attending hospital in mental health crisis receive the care, understanding, and respect they deserve.
Are you ready to move from conversation to commitment? We’re ready to work with you.
Use the form below and select: “I want to connect with your team.”