The 2025 Adam Bojelian Memorial Talk with Dr Zoe Picton-Howell

The 2025 Adam Bojelian Memorial Talk will be given by Adam's mum and solicitor Dr Zoe Picton-Howell on the subject of 'Law as a catalyst for optimum patient care, not fear'.

Zoe is Adam’s mother and an expert in healthcare law, with a diverse background in law, healthcare, and academia. Zoe is the founder and the director of the Adam Bojelian Foundation, creating all its educational and training materials and ran its free legal advice service. She is also a tutor of medical education at the University of Edinburgh Medical School and has held roles in legal and healthcare organizations across the UK.

Her talk will draw on the findings of her PhD from University of Edinburgh's law school, where Zoe explored with 40 UK medical consultants their end-of-life decision making and their understanding of the relevant law and ethics, as well as on her wider professional expertise and experience and experiences as Adam's mum.

Zoe has served in numerous national and regional advisory roles, including as a trustee and director of the Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights; on nurmeous RCPCH committees and on NICE committees. She was the parent author of the UK government's 2018 Child Death Review. Zoe currently serves on both the Law Society of England and Wales' expert advisory groups on Human Rights and on Mental Health and Disability.

Zoe has published on child health law, human rights and best-interest decision-making.

You can follow Zoe on Twitter/X @PictonZoe

AdsTalk25 will be chaired by Rob Webster.

Rob is Lead Chief Executive for the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership [Integrated Care System]. This sees him bringing together West Yorkshire and Harrogate health and care leaders, organisations and communities to deliver ambitious plans for improved health, care and finances for 2.7 million people. Rob is an active member of the NHS Assembly and contributes to a number of national programmes.

Rob has worked in healthcare since 1990, taking on national leadership roles in the Department of Health on policy, transformation and delivery. He has been a director for both the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit in the Cabinet Office and a national public/private partnership. He was Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation between 2014 and 2016, having proven to be a successful Chief Executive in the NHS since 2007, running a number of commissioning organisations and providers of NHS services. He has chaired formal cancer, primary care, community trust and learning disability networks.

Rob is defined by a values based approach to leadership. He is a visiting Professor at Leeds Beckett University and was proud to be made a Fellow of the Queen’s Nursing Institute in 2014. In May 2016, Rob became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. In 2020 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

You can follow Rob on Twitter/X @NHS_RobW.

AdsTalk is a free event kindly supported by Horizon Leeds, everyone interested in the topic being discussed is warmly welcome to attend. It is held annually in memory of Adam Bojelian, young poet and healthcare advocate.

Adam Bojelian was a gifted young poet and advocate born in Hampshire, England, in 2000. He lived with cerebral palsy and complex health needs, spending much of his life in Edinburgh, Scotland. Despite these challenges, he excelled academically and creatively. He began writing poetry at age nine, communicating by selecting letters and words due to his inability to speak, and soon gained recognition for his work.

Adam's poem Christmas Gibbons, set to music, reached number 2 in the iTunes Children’s Music Chart in 2012. He was widely celebrated for his poetic insights, winning awards like a Brit Writers Award and a Gold Blue Peter badge. He used his voice to advocate for disability rights and improved healthcare, sharing his experiences through blogging, public talks, and media appearances.

Commissioned by prominent organizations, Adam wrote poems on themes like NHS leadership and disability rights. His works gained admiration, including a lullaby for Prince George, and were used by healthcare bodies. Known for his uplifting presence on Twitter, Adam became a beloved figure for his constructive, positive advocacy.

Tragically, in 2015, Adam died at age 15 from sepsis, after suffering poor healthcare experiences in his final months. Since his passing, Adam’s legacy continues through an annual NHS memorial talk, dedicated national guidelines, and The Adam Bojelian Foundation. His poetry collection Playing With Words was released in 2023. Adam’s work remains influential in healthcare and disability advocacy, inspiring compassion and understanding for young people with disabilities.

You can read more about Adam and Zoe, access a wide range of free resources and purchase Adam's book 'Playing With Words' at https://theadsfoundation.org

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Horizon Leeds, 2 Kendall Street, Leeds, United Kingdom