Welcome to Innovation Month 2026
Once again, the Council of Deans of Health will be dedicating all of February to exploring issues around innovation in healthcare education. This year, the month will be divided into themed weeks, including themes around generative AI, pedagogy, and simulation.
We look forward to sharing the variety of podcasts, blogs, webinars, and other resources throughout February. In the mean time, do register for our Innovation Month webinar on tackling digital inequalities and also have a look at resources from Gen AI Week 2025 and Innovation Month 2025.
In a welcome video, Ruth Paterson, Chair of the CoDH Innovation in Education Strategic Policy Group, opens Innovation Month 2026 and highlights the variety of activities and resources that the Council of Deans will be releasing this month.
Webinar: Tackling Digital Inequalities
As the Health Plan accelerates the shift to digital learning, this session examines how healthcare educators can ensure that technology-enabled education does not widen existing inequalities. Dr Neil Ralph, Deputy Director of Technology Enhanced Learning at NHS England, will explore both the opportunities and the challenges of digital delivery, highlighting practical strategies for improving access, quality and inclusivity. Attendees will gain insight into emerging national priorities and what they mean for curriculum design, learner support and the wider education ecosystem.
Watch the recording:
Principles for the use of Generative AI in Healthcare Education report
As AI tools become increasingly prevalent, the healthcare education sector must evolve to balance innovation with ethical considerations, ensuring that academic integrity and professional standards are upheld while fostering equitable access to AI-driven advancements.
This report outlines eight high level principles for integrating AI into healthcare education, recognising its potential to enhance teaching, learning, and student support. Human oversight, interdisciplinary collaboration and a strong service user voice were central to the principles. A supplementary document has also been published, providing illustrative examples to demonstrate each of the principles and showing how AI can support innovative approaches to healthcare education. The aim of these publications is to add to the knowledge base and share sector learning.
Innovation Month podcasts
Innovation Month blogs
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Modernising the Curricula to Realise the NHS 10 Year Plan
In this blog, Dr John Downey, Lecturer at the University of Plymouth, discusses an NHS England supported project…
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H³: Health@Home Hub: The Beginning of a Bold New Journey
Written by Dr Siân Shaw, Associate Professor Digital Innovation in Nursing at Anglia Ruskin University, this blog showcases…
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Co-Production in Simulation for Mental Health
In this blog, Andy Buttery, an Operating Department Practitioner, led the multiprofessional team alongside two Clinical Fellows: Isobel…
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Think Like a Team: Diagnosing Patients Through Collaboration
Interprofessional Education (IPE) is a pedagogical approach that brings together students from diverse healthcare disciplines to engage in…
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