NHS APA Annual
Conference 2025
Breaking Barriers: How stigma undermines support and connection - and what we can do about it.
Thursday 27th November 2025 | 9.30am - 4.00pm
The Impact of Stigma on People with Addiction:
Thank you to our level 3 sponsor
For more than 35 years, Gilead have been tackling some of the world’s greatest public health challenges, revolutionizing HIV treatment and prevention and delivering a cure for hepatitis C. Now, Gilead are working to discover and advance therapies that offer new hope to patients impacted by diseases across our therapeutic areas of Virology, Oncology and Inflammation.
To find out more about Gilead and its commitment to viral hepatitis elimination, visit the sponsor page by clicking the link below.
Please note that Gilead Sciences has provided sponsorship of this event but provided no input into the programme.
The views and opinions of the speakers are not necessarily those of Gilead Sciences.
UKI-UNB-1688 | September 2025
This non-promotional video has been developed by Gilead Sciences Ltd and is intended for delegates of the NHS APA Conference and professionals with a legitimate role in drug and alcohol services and/or the elimination of Viral Hepatitis within the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Thank you to our level 1 sponsors
Camurus is a pharmaceutical company with a clear commitment - to lead the development of advanced drug delivery systems and innovative medical products to improve quality of life for patients with severe and chronic diseases.
Our work addresses several therapeutic areas, including opioid dependence. We want to support healthcare professionals and their patients in accessing innovative treatments, helping to overcome the barriers that can often stand in the way of treatment choice. We want to help remove the stigma associated with a complex condition like opioid dependence and encourage a more empathetic approach to patients from policy makers, healthcare providers and the public at large.
We work in close partnership with organisations that are involved in designing and delivering drug treatment services. Our aim is to shine a light on examples of best practice, in the hope that these innovative approaches can be more widely adopted, driving improved outcomes for more patients.
As a team, we are truly passionate about what we do. Many of us have direct experience of working in drug treatment services – so we understand both the challenges and rewards of making a real difference to the lives of people struggling with opioid dependency.
Please note that Camurus has provided sponsorship of this event but provided no input into the programme.
The views and opinions of the speakers are not necessarily those of Camurus.
Ethypharm is a speciality pharmaceutical company committed to providing products targeting the central nervous system (CNS) for patients who are suffering severe pain or opioid dependency as well as providing a wide range of high-quality injectable medicines for critical care patients.
To find out more about Ethypharm and its products, visit the sponsor page by clicking the link below.
Please note that Ethypharm has provided sponsorship of this event but provided no input into the programme.
The views and opinions of the speakers are not necessarily those of Ethypharm.
Session One
09:31 AM
TBC
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Additional Text
Session Two
09:30 AM
TBC
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Additional Text
Session Three
09:30 AM
TBC
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Additional Text
Coffee break - 11:40am - 12:00pm
Session Four
09:30 AM
TBC
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Additional Text
Lunch break - 12:25 - 1:00pm
On demand
Session Five
09:30 AM
TBC
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Additional Text
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Session Six
09:30 AM
TBC
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Additional Text
Session Seven
09:30 AM
TBC
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Additional Text
Afternoon break - 3:00pm - 3:05pm
Session Eight
09:30 AM
TBC
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Danny Hames,
NHS APA Chair
Additional Text
Join the NHS APA
We're pleased to welcome new NHS Addictions Provider Alliance Members from across the UK. We provide drug and alcohol services in 35 local authority areas, 43 prisons and 6 Inpatient Detox Units, serving the most vulnerable and complex patients nationally.
We employ over 1,933 members of staff nationwide specialising in addiction services and are proud to have more than 200 volunteers supporting NHS APA member addiction services at any time.
To find out more about our fantastic member benefits and how you can join the alliance, please fill out the contact form below and we'll be in touch as soon as possible.
Terms & conditions
For the avoidance of doubt, the NHS Addictions Provider Alliance (NHS APA) Conference on 27th November 2025, shall be referred to throughout this disclaimer as a “Virtual Conference Event”.
By joining any of the Virtual Conference Event sessions or accessing any of the Virtual Conference Event web pages, you consent to all of the following terms and conditions.
The NHS APA is committed to hosting an informative, thought-provoking and interesting Virtual Conference Event for all delegates. To support this, many of the speakers will be sharing their personal experiences around the conference’s theme ‘Living the Stigma: Understanding Addiction & Overcoming Prejudice'.
As such, please note:
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Some of the Virtual Conference Event sessions may include sensitive material.
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Presenters may express a wide variety of opinions and views which do not necessarily represent the opinions and views of the NHS APA, its members, sponsors and/or you as an individual.
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Presenters may also use language which does not necessarily align with the way the NHS APA talks about the subjects being covered by the Virtual Conference Event.
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The NHS APA does not have any political associations. Some of the presenters and presentations may include political views and affiliations. All views and affiliations are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent the opinions and views of the NHS APA, its members, sponsors and/or you as an individual.
Survey
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Brightsparks
The NHS APA Virtual Conference has been developed, co-ordinated and delivered by Brightsparks Agency Ltd.
Brightsparks Agency is a creative agency....
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We exclusively work with social purpose organisations to help them to start up, grow and improve the services they provide that make a difference to people’s lives and society.
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We provide cutting edge digital and marketing services that are fundamentally based around behavioural insights. This means that we take the time to understand what influences behaviour change and then make sure that our communications are Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely (Find out more about EAST Behavioural Science Framework).
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We invest profits from our agency into our Community Interest Company that supports children, families and disadvantaged people with training and support around issues like mental health, parenting support and dealing with trauma.
CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES:
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Virtual Events
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Digital marketing strategy
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Creative design
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Website development
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PR and Campaign Management
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Email Marketing
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Offline editorial and print media
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Social Media Content Development and Management
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES:
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Service review and evaluation
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Service design and business modelling
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Commissioning and procurement support
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Programme management and implementation
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Fundraising and bid development support
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Training and development
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Impact and research coordination