The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) won two awards at the Irish Healthcare Awards, held on 3 November 2026 at Aviva Stadium, recognising the College’s work in inclusion health and artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.
The awards acknowledge key RCPI initiatives contributing to a stronger healthcare training and delivery environment; the RCPI Inclusion Health Framework, and the RCPI EY Artificial Intelligence in Health: What Clinicians in Ireland Are Saying event.
The Inclusion Health Framework is a postgraduate medical education resource designed to translate Inclusion Health principles into practical guidance that supports informed decision-making, effective communication, and continuity of care.
The initiative was funded by our partners at the HSE National Doctors Training and Planning. Led by the Institute of Medicine and informed by clinical evidence and lived experience, this educational resource defines the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that contribute to health care that prioritises inclusion and equity.
The initiative received the award for Best Design-Led Project of the Year and was praised as an “outstanding framework” and “exceptional example of authentic co-design”, bringing together lived experience, patient and public involvement, research and innovative approaches to teaching.
The judges said: “Its thoughtful development and evaluation have already shown encouraging improvements in learners’ confidence, understanding, and attitudes towards inclusion health. The integration into existing curricula and the practical toolkit for wider implementation were particular strengths. This is an inspiring foundation for more equitable patient care across services.”
RCPI was also awarded Best Use of Artificial Intelligence in a Healthcare Setting, recognising the College’s work in bringing frontline clinical voices into the conversation about the future of AI in healthcare and exploring physicians’ behaviours, perceptions and attitudes towards its use in clinical practice. The event also saw the launch of findings from the first-of-its-kind survey of AI use among physicians in Ireland, delivered in partnership with EY.
The judges described the event as a highly relevant educational conference that combined the launch of a report with live discussion on clinicians’ concerns around governance, clinical decision-making, professional autonomy and the doctor-patient relationship. Patients were also involved, ensuring their perspectives and concerns formed part of the conversation.
Judges described the conference as addressing “one of the most important topics of our time” and suggested that it could beneficially be repeated on an annual basis.
Welcoming the awards, Ms Audrey Houlihan, RCPI CEO said:
“We are delighted to see these two important initiatives recognised at the Irish Healthcare Awards. Both reflect RCPI’s commitment to responding to the challenges facing healthcare and ensuring that education, evidence and the experiences of patients and doctors shape how we respond. This recognition is a testament to the expertise, innovation and collaboration of everyone involved.”
Prof Anthony O’Regan, RCPI President added:
“These awards recognise work that goes to the heart of our mission as a College – supporting doctors to provide the best possible care for their patients. Healthcare is delivered in partnership, and these initiatives are strong examples of the essential role of doctors, patients and the wider healthcare community in advancing patient care and health outcomes into the future. We are extremely proud of the teams involved.”