Welcome to the April edition of The Digital Academy Newsletter. Here is your monthly round up of all things happening in The Digital Academy and system partners, including learning opportunities, news, updates, events and learning spotlights. Please do email us with your thoughts and feedback and forward to colleagues who may wish to sign up.
Learning opportunities
Last chance to apply for Cohort 9 of the Digital Health Leadership Programme
Applications for Cohort 9 of the Digital Health Leadership Programme close on Thursday 30 April (midday).
The programme is a 12-month part-time Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Digital Health Leadership and is delivered by the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London. It is aimed at people who are responsible for leading and optimising large-scale digital change across the NHS with a strong focus on learners demonstrating, through agreed measures, the direct impact of the learning on the change they are leading.
Further information about the programme, as well as details on how to apply, is available on the Digital Academy website. There is also the final application support webinar where you can hear more from the people who will be delivering the programme, as well as from some of our alumni.
New self-guided agile and product learning on NHS Digital Academy Campus
We've launched a new set of free, self-guided courses to help colleagues across health and care build confidence in agile ways of working, continuous improvement, and effective digital team practices, whether you're new to agile and product delivery, refreshing the basics or looking for practical tools to strengthen how your team works. Find out more about this digital learning offer.
Microsoft Copilot Chat learning opportunities
In our ongoing efforts to ensure that all NHS staff are aware and trained on Copilot Chat, the secure AI assistant built for the workplace, Microsoft have new sessions available for April and May, where you will learn: what Copilot Chat is and how it’s different from other AI chat tools, how to use Copilot Chat, example Copilot Chat prompts for your day-to-day work in Healthcare. Visit Microsoft's page to register.
NHS England Cyber School in Partnership with your regional Digital Skills Development Network
Launched in June 2025 as part of the Cyber Improvement Programme, Cyber School is building cyber capability across the NHS by providing fully funded training and recognised qualifications to complement the experience of our cyber professionals. Find out more about the training.
Latest news
Essential Digital Skills Framework ownership and engagement
The Essential Digital Skills (EDS) Framework, developed by the FutureDotNow coalition, will move to the government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), alongside a new national survey to measure the UK’s core digital capability. This marks a major milestone for FutureDotNow and the coalition, which the Digital Academy is very proud to be a part of. Stakeholder engagement is also taking place on the Essential Digital Skills Standard 2026. The standards are currently being reviewed, setting out the essential digital skills adults need for life and work. Input your views by completing the survey to gather employer insights by 30 April 2026.
Government Cyber Profession launches
The Government Cyber Profession was recently launched at the Government Cyber Security and Digital Resilience Conference. This is a significant milestone in strengthening cyber capability across government. The new profession brings a clear identity, a structured home and stronger support for cyber specialists. Work is already progressing on developing role frameworks, learning pathways and new talent programmes including support for apprenticeships, the Cyber Fast Stream and the Government Cyber Academy. Learn more about the Cyber Profession. This also aligns with our recent news feature announcing the NHS Cyber Security Apprenticeship Scheme launch of cohort 2.
Introducing the NHS Innovation Accelerator 2026 Fellows
The NHS Innovation Accelerator, delivered in partnership with NHS England and the 15 health innovation networks, announced its 2026 Fellows live at Digital Health Rewired, spotlighting a new cohort of innovators whose solutions are already delivering results in the NHS and are ready to scale nationally. This new group of innovators, selected following a rigorous application process, join an established national community. Read more about the Fellowship winners.
Upcoming events
AI Health Tech Show
Join us at the AI Health Tech Show on 29 April 2026 in London where the Digital Academy will be leading the workforce transformation discussion. This is the first national scale platform for applied AI Tech in Healthcare aimed at people actually deploying AI in healthcare. Find out more and register for the event here.
Spotlight webinar: Inside Cyber
Join the Government Digital Service (GDS) for their latest spotlight webinar shining the light on all things digital, data and technology on 18 May from 4:00 to 5:00. They will be deep diving into the fast growing cyber profession and look at what it takes to pivot from an unrelated career background to driving a strategic direction for Government Cyber in less than 10 years. Discover more and register.
AI in clinical practice: Empowering clinicians to shape tomorrow’s healthcare
This AI in clinical practice event will take place on 21 May at King’s College London (Guy’s Campus) and is hosted by King’s Health Partners and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. It will bring together 500 clinicians across specialties and career stages (residents, SAS doctors and consultants) to explore the safe, practical and patient-centred use of AI in healthcare. The aim of the day is to improve clinician understanding of AI technologies, including emerging applications, governance and regulation, and what clinicians need to know to use these tools safely in practice. Register for the event here.
NHS ConfedExpo 2026
Registration is open for NHS ConfedExpo 2026. Join 6,000+ health and care leaders, professionals and partners on 10-11 June at Manchester Central to discover innovative approaches turning ambition into reality. Free for NHS and public sector staff.
Recently published
National Competency Framework for Data Professionals version 3 launches
The National Competency Framework (NCF) version 3 (published March 2026) is the third major release of the National Competency Framework for Data Professionals. The UK (NHS‑led) framework defines the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed across data roles, from entry level to expert. It provides a common language to support workforce planning, career pathways, capability development and consistent standards for data professionals across health and care. This represents the most substantial update since the framework’s original launch in 2023, expanding its scope, strengthening specialist content, and adding entirely new domain‑level competencies. Find out more about the updated framework.
Digital Insights: Outcomes are at the heart of patient care, so why not your digital transformation?
Read the latest report from our partner, NHS Alliance which is part of the Digital Boards programme, examining why an outcome-focused board is necessary to ensure that every digital investment can be translated into measurable impact whether that be quality, safety or productivity.
Routes to 20 million: Progress and 2026 Plan
Our partner, FutureDotNow has recently published the latest update on their five-year strategy, capturing the strides made across their coalition including priorities for 2026. Their aim is to engage many more businesses in their joint mission, providing more tools and solutions that make it even easier to take action and help people build essential digital skills. Read the report here.
Electronic patient record systems in England: what do NHS staff think?
The Health Foundation conducted a recent survey to explore what NHS staff think of electronic patient record (EPR) systems in their organisation. The survey found that EPRs are in widespread use, with some positive findings. Yet feedback remains mixed, with an area of particular concern around training. Read the results here.
Learning spotlights
Driving digital delivery with research-backed confidence
Hear from Nina Schmidt-Marino, Digital Health Leadership Programme (DHLP) alumnus on how her confidence and credibility were built through being on DHLP to ultimately improve digital adoption. Her DHLP highlight was in change management and she reflects that, as an already experience digital programme management lead ‘The learning over the year helped to firmly move narrative from an experience-based opinion to one grounded in research.’
Digital skills development scheme brings enhanced confidence in digital literacy
Dawn Grant, Healthcare Support Worker development lead for NHS England shares the successes that a development scheme brought to digital confidence of the NHS Healthcare Support workers across a network of NHS Trusts in the south east of England. Support workers represent a large part of the NHS workforce and raising the profile of this scheme is of far wider benefit. Read her insights here.
Digital profession
Strengthening digital professionalism across the NHS
At Digital Health Rewired 2026 (25 March), NHS England announced a new phased professional membership and registration programme for the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) workforce, developed with the Federation for Informatics Professionals.
Starting with senior roles and expanding to all staff by 2031, the programme sets clear standards for DDaT professionals, aligning them with other established NHS fields. Membership fees will be reduced for Band 7 and below, making it accessible to most employees. Benefits include accreditation pathways, enhanced CPD support, access to professional communities, expert networks, discounted conferences, and broader development opportunities.
This initiative supports the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, aiming to build a skilled digital workforce capable of implementing data-driven services, AI tools, and integrated care. Consistent standards will improve workforce assurance, patient safety, and establish DDaT as an NHS profession. Explore the full offer.
FAQs are being developed and if anyone has any queries you can email the digital profession team directly.
Podcast in focus
Digital Health Unplugged podcast
Digital Health Unplugged covers all things health technology and NHS IT, delving into key issues and news stories in the sector. It also shines a light on the great work taking place from members of the Digital Health CIO, CCIO and CNIO Networks.
The latest episodes include ‘How digital enables neighbourhood health’ and ‘Why NHS innovation stalls’. Listen to the podcasts.
Other useful resources
We have a range of bulletins covering primary care, nursing, mental health, transformation, NHS IMPACT and other topics.
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