Getting It Right First Time is pleased to welcome a new cohort of clinical fellows for 2025/26, supporting GIRFT’s remit to reduce unwarranted variation in the delivery of health and care at a local, regional and national level. 

Six resident doctors from across England are now onboarded and are beginning work on their chosen improvement projects, with the possibility of two more to join the fellowship programme in the coming weeks. 

Their projects range from sustainability initiatives such as decarbonising urology and dermatology pathways to work focusing on reducing waiting lists in trauma and orthopaedic surgery. 

The six new GIRFT clinical fellows are: 

• Majd Abusharar, registrar in urology at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust: Working on decarbonising urology pathways. 

• Michael Ayres, specialist registrar in anaesthetics at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who is the National Medical Director’s fellow: Working on risk holding by resident doctors. 

• Katherine Creamer, specialist registrar in dermatology at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust: Working on decarbonising dermatology surgery pathways. 

• Amir Khan, chief registrar in trauma and orthopaedics at Medway NHS Foundation Trust: Working on reducing waiting lists in trauma and orthopaedics at Medway Foundation Trust. 

• Rebecca Martin, specialist registrar in trauma and orthopaedics at Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust: Working on volume outcome relationships in ankle surgery. 

• Robert Sandler, registrar in rheumatology and general internal medicine at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Working on what works in reducing rheumatology waiting lists.  

GIRFT’s clinical fellowship programme – now in its fourth year – is an opportunity for NHS resident doctors, nurses or Allied Health Professionals to gain experience in leading research and quality improvement projects while retaining clinical duties and continuing training. 

GIRFT fellows are supported to author peer-reviewed research papers, produce national guides and create best practice case studies, as well as becoming proficient in understanding clinical data from sources such as Hospital Episodes Statistics and Model Health System. 

To September 2025, the programme has supported 32 fellows and led to the publication of 26 academic papers covering topics such as decarbonisation, evidence around network models of working, supporting elective surgical hubs, and improving efficiency in healthcare delivery.