GIRFT’s Clinical Fellowship Programme
What is GIRFT’s clinical fellowship programme?
In 2022 GIRFT launched a clinical fellowship programme aimed at NHS resident doctors, non- consultant doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. The fellowship programme supports GIRFT’s remit to reduce unwarranted variation in the delivery of health and care at a local, regional and national level. The programme also directly benefits each participating NHS trust or system which employs a GIRFT clinical fellow by bringing GIRFT’s expertise, knowledge, networks and partners into their organisation to support local quality improvement, service transformation and the implementation of evidence-based change.
The programme’s aims
GIRFT’s clinical fellowship programme enables NHS resident doctors, non-consultant doctors and other NHS healthcare professionals to take their development and learning further while continuing their clinical training. Fellows will develop skills in quality improvement, implementation, data analysis and interpretation, academic writing, leadership and innovation, for the benefit of patients, staff and the wider NHS. The programme supports participants to develop as clinically credible improvement leaders, combining clinical expertise with the skills, confidence and networks needed to influence change across clinical, organisational and system settings. We provide a one-year programme that incorporates clinical work with the opportunity to lead research and/or quality improvement projects. In addition, the programme includes didactic learning, workshops, action learning sets, meetings with NHS senior leadership, mentoring and access to a national multidisciplinary network of fellows, alumni and improvement experts.
How does it work?
GIRFT’s clinical fellowship programme is based on strong partnership links between the GIRFT team, participating partner NHS trusts, the Greener NHS team, the National Medical Director and third-party organisations, such as charities, professional bodies and research funders.
Each fellow’s salary is jointly funded by the GIRFT team and a partner organisation (e.g. the hosting NHS trust; a research, patient or clinical charity; a professional clinical body; the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)). The salary is funded for the full duration of the 12-month fellowship.
Applications for GIRFT fellowships are led by the funding partner who contact GIRFT to complete a short expression of interest form detailing the funding arrangements and project idea(s). If we receive more expressions of interest than we have available places, then successful applications are selected following review by a panel from the GIRFT team.
If selected for funding, the hosting trust, supported by GIRFT, advertises the post, shortlists and interviews. Successfully appointed fellows spend 50–60% of their time on research and/or quality improvement projects and the educational aspects of a carefully crafted curriculum. They dedicate their remaining time to clinical work.
Why get involved in GIRFT’s clinical fellowship programme?
Our clinical fellowship programme offers an opportunity to get involved in GIRFT’s renowned work to improve treatment and care by understanding variations in the way services are delivered across the NHS. By sharing best practice between trusts, GIRFT identifies changes that will help improve care and patient outcomes, as well as delivering efficiencies, such as the reduction of unnecessary procedures, and cost savings.
Our clinical fellowship programme is an opportunity for learning and professional development while retaining the ability to stay clinically active. The fellowship provides access to a national network of fellows, alumni, experts and mentors, exposure to NHS senior leaders and opportunities to contribute to research, quality improvement and service transformation. Fellows develop the skills, confidence and relationships needed to translate evidence into practice and influence improvement beyond their immediate clinical setting.
There are several benefits for trusts who employ a GIRFT clinical fellow.
Fellows are equipped with up-to-date skills, tools and resources from the GIRFT programme and can share their knowledge and focus on improving patient outcomes and efficiency in the day-to-day business of their trust or system. Participating organisations also benefit from developing future clinical improvement leaders with enhanced capability in quality improvement, implementation, stakeholder engagement and system leadership.
The programme’s achievements
To July 2026, GIRFT’s clinical fellowship programme has supported 30 fellows and led to the publication of 38 academic papers, 52 conference presentations and abstracts, and 11 national guidance and resource documents covering topics such as environmentally sustainable healthcare, evidence around network models of working for complex surgery, supporting elective surgical hubs and improving efficiency in healthcare delivery. The programme has also supported fellows to deliver local and national quality improvement initiatives, contribute to service transformation and build lasting improvement capability across the NHS.
What our fellows say
What participating NHS trusts say
What our partners say
- For more information
Click the buttons below if you are:
- an NHS resident doctor, non-consultant doctor or other NHS healthcare professional interested in becoming a future fellow.
- an NHS trust or ICB that would like to participate and benefit.
- Resources
The clinical fellowship team use peer-reviewed academic publication to support GIRFT’s core functions, and lead evaluation exercises to measure our impact:
Bitesize recordings of the 2024/25 GIRFT clinical fellows project presentations:
Decarbonising elective total hip replacement clinical pathway >
Improving the quality and efficiency of general surgery >
Network models for revision total knee arthroplasty >
- Fellows News