For the first time, the WHC is fully hybrid, facilitating the participation of more than 1,200 delegates from over 70 countries in the entire programme whether they attend in-person and virtually. The WHC is the premier event in the International Hospital Federation’s (IHF) calendar and their organising partner and host for the 44th WHC is La Unió Catalana d’Hospitals (UCH).

For four days, leaders and decision-makers in the healthcare community will share knowledge and good practices, exchange new ideas and innovations, and network with other senior executives.

The theme for this WHC is ‘People on board: Transforming healthcare by blending agility, responsiveness, and resilience’.

Dr Enric Mangas, President of the UCH and Chair of the Organising Committee, underlined the importance of knowledge exchange between hospital leaders as they focus their efforts on building back from the pandemic: “In Barcelona we have an outstanding opportunity to move forward together in improving healthcare. And we’ll do so with a firm commitment to people.

“We propose a journey through all the opportunities offered by technology and knowledge, with an incursion in humanism, to ensure there is health and social care of value for everyone and anyone who needs it. And put in place learnings on how we can transform our healthcare services to be agile, responsive and resilient to meet people’s needs.”

Deborah Bowen, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American College of Healthcare Executives Federation will commence her role as President of the International Hospital Federation at the Closing Ceremony. Stressing the importance of the WHC as an opportunity to connect with peers, she said: “The World Hospital Congress gives us the chance to reflect on our accomplishments and progress, learn from one another and better navigate what lies ahead.”