Foundation Fellows

To enhance the potential for Foundation Doctors to demonstrate excellence, the Severn Foundation School offers foundation doctors the opportunity to apply for Fellowship roles. For the 2023-25 academic years, appointments will be made to six (6) Fellowships in the following areas of interest: Sustainability, Education, General Practice, Leadership, Quality Improvement, and Simulation.  

The role lasts for two years, and, in addition to activities related to their respective fellowships, successful applicants will act as Foundation Doctor Representatives at the Severn Foundation School’s quarterly committee meetings. The Foundation Fellows will also meet regularly with Foundation School Director and each other, for support and collaboration.

Being voluntary, the roles do not come with additional time, though foundation doctors may use Self Development Time (SDT) to fulfil their Foundation Fellow roles. 

Foundation doctors wishing to fulfil these positions will need to make a written application to ensure we are identifying the most appropriate individuals. Details of how to apply can be found at the bottom of this webpage.

For more information about the Foundation Fellow roles, see our Fellow Feedback page.

NB Psychiatry Fellows are now appointed separately through the national Psychiatry Foundation Fellow (PFF) recruitment process and receive funding support from the Royal College of Psychiatrists for a conference.

Sustainability Fellow

NHS England is keen to promote sustainable working practices to avoid waste and impact on the environment.

The NHS has signed up to a government target of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, so sustainability is becoming increasingly on the healthcare agenda. The NHS needs to reduce its carbon emissions in all areas, through changing procurement practices, how patients and staff travel and through reducing energy use. Clinicians need to be involved with this process as they are often key in the decision making; regarding patient pathways, what equipment is used and as role models.

The Sustainability Fellows will help deliver Sustainability Quality Improvement (SUSQI) teaching to F1s and F2s in Severn to try and embed the SUSQI framework. They will have the opportunity to attend a Teaching SUSQI course. They will receive support from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare’s QI Education Fellow in addition to support from the Foundation School.

Education Fellow

The Education Fellow, along with the Simulation Fellow, will be expected to attend the bi-annual Education Strategy Group meetings and contribute to the meetings by providing a foundation doctor perspective and feedback.

The Education Fellow will be expected to demonstrate an interest in education during their previous training and are encouraged to develop their educational portfolio and seek opportunities to engage with clinical teaching and supervision of students and postgraduate doctors in the workplace. They should also seek opportunities to shadow people in senior educator roles.

The Education Fellow will be expected to identify an educational project during their tenure which will contribute to the educational development of the Severn Foundation School. The Foundation School will undertake to support the foundation doctor with their personal development.

General Practice Fellow

The General Practice Fellow will act as the Foundation representative at the board of the Severn Faculty of the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Their role would be to facilitate and encourage liaison between the faculty and the Foundation doctors, to help the faculty and events administrators to advertise faculty events and to help keep fellow Foundation doctors informed of developments in primary care.

They will also ensure a Foundation doctor’s perspective is considered by local policy makers and administrators.

The board meets four times a year (usually February, June, September and November) on a Wednesday evening (currently via Zoom). Their attendance would also be encouraged at the annual AGM which is also on a Wednesday evening, usually in October or November.

Leadership Fellow

The Leadership Fellow will be expected to attend the quarterly Foundation School Committee meetings. Their role would be to contribute to the discussions relating to the agenda, providing a foundation doctor perspective to the committee; including providing a foundation doctor update report (whether they are able to attend or not). This report will contain feedback from the foundation doctors to the Foundation School Committee; by accepting this appointment the foundation doctor understands that they may be contacted by other Severn Foundation doctors via our website, the Foundation school will facilitate communication with other foundation doctors when required.

The Leadership Fellow will be expected to demonstrate an interest in leadership or management during their previous training.

The Leadership Fellow will also be expected to attend the twice-yearly Foundation Doctors Advisory Board Meetings (FDAB) and communicate with other foundation doctors to ensure they are representing the views of the cohort rather than just their personal view.

It is anticipated that the Leadership Fellow will identify a project during their tenure which will contribute to the development of the Severn Foundation School. The Foundation school will undertake to support the foundation doctor with their personal development.

Psychiatry Fellow

Psychiatry Fellows are now appointed separately through the national Psychiatry Foundation Fellow (PFF) recruitment process. They receive funding support from the Royal College of Psychiatrists for a conference. Details of local opportunities are included here for information purposes only.

The Psychiatry Fellow will be encouraged to attend the biannual meeting of the Choose Psychiatry committee of the Southwest Division of the Royal College of Psychiatrists for the coming academic year. They will have the opportunity to work alongside a committee of psychiatry doctors in training and consultants, helping to organise local events, and assisting with social media. 

A key part of the fellowship will be to act as an intermediary between the College and foundation doctors in the Severn deanery, with a view to promoting careers in the specialty. Another area of focus will be to support the University of Bristol ‘Psych Soc’, whose members organise mental-health related events for undergraduates. Fellows should ideally be able to attend occasional meetings and events in the Severn region (work timetable permitting).

Please click here for additional guidance for psychiatry foundation fellows.

Quality Improvement Fellow

The Quality Improvement Fellow will run a QI Project within their trust, following the Model For Improvement. It is expected that this project will be presented at a regional, national or international meeting and if the project goes well it will be submitted to a peer review journal.

In addition, they will be involved in coordinating deanery-wide Quality Improvement Projects. This will involve communicating with the various groups in each Trust (including using social media), and preparing a summary report of all the projects. This may also involve preparing short video clips of each project to help inform the next year.

They will be supported by a more senior doctor in training who will be available for advice; and the Foundation School will undertake to support the foundation doctor with their personal development.

Simulation Fellow

The Simulation Fellow, along with the Education Fellow, will be expected to attend the bi-annual Education Strategy Group meetings and contribute to the meetings by providing a foundation doctor perspective and feedback.

The Simulation Fellow will also be expected to attend the HEE (SW) Simulation Network meetings.

It is anticipated that the Simulation Fellow will have IT skills and an interest in education, to help to develop Simulation Training within the school.

The Simulation Fellow will be expected to identify a project during their tenure which will contribute to the development of the Severn Foundation School. The Foundation School will undertake to support the foundation doctor with their personal development.

Application Process - F1 Fellowships

Interested candidates will need to complete an online application form. The deadline for submission is 11:59pm on Monday 15th May 2023.

You may apply to more than one fellow post but please submit a separate application for each post. The applications will be reviewed by different panels so the evidence can be used for more than one application if considered appropriate.

Current Foundation Fellows

2023-2024 F1 Fellow F2 Fellow
Sustainability 

Hannah Graves
North Bristol

William Richards
Gloucestershire

Education

Ying Xin Tan
Somerset

General Practice

Niamh Roberts
North Bristol

Eve Barnes / Ruth Friedlander
GWH             UHBW

Careers

 

Leadership

Faris Khan
North Bristol

Psychiatry
(via PFF) 

 

William Smith, Gloucestershire
Joshua Greaves, RUH

Quality Improvement

Matthew Laughton
North Bristol

Simulation

Ciara Irwin
North Bristol