New HEE fellowships will help NHS staff shape the digital healthcare revolution

Health Education England is pleased to invite candidates for 35 new digital health fellowships aimed at helping clinical professionals build digital health expertise into their careers.

Successful applicants will receive equivalent funding up to 40% of their salary to give them protected time to engage in digital initiatives.

This second cohort of the Topol Programme for Digital Fellowships follows recommendations in the 2019 Topol Review to ensure that the NHS leads the world in using innovative technology to benefit patients.

Recruitment for this round opens on September 1 and runs until September 30.

Successful applicants after shortlisting and interview will be given time and support to design and deliver digital health projects and initiatives within their employing trusts. They will have access to a programme of workshops enabling them to lead digital health transformations for NHS staff and patients.

Applications are open to a wide range of NHS staff including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, dentists, healthcare scientists, pharmacists and others. There are five designated places for dermatologists which have been generously supported by the British Association of Dermatologists.  Candidates for all fellowships may be in training or in a permanent position. 

Patrick Mitchell, Director of Innovation and Transformation, Health Education England, said: “The use of digital technologies including AI, robotics and digital medicine are shaping up to be central to the future of healthcare delivery.

“The Topol Digital Fellowships give candidates an invaluable opportunity for protected time away from clinical commitments to focus on helping shape the NHS through this digital revolution.”

Current fellowship projects include a broad and exciting variety of initiatives designed to improve patient care and maximise NHS resources.  They range from real-time monitoring of cancer patients and improving the uptake of diabetic eye-screening among non-attenders to embedding feedback in electronic prescribing to improve patient safety.

Full details about the programme and how to apply are available here:-

https://topol.hee.nhs.uk/digital-fellowships/