Health & social care professionals sought for NICE fellowships and scholarships

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is on the hunt for up to 20 professionals working in the health and social care sectors to join its prestigious ambassador programmes.

NICE is recruiting for its latest intake of Fellows and Scholars to promote high-quality, evidence-based practice. In return, NICE supports individuals’ professional development through a range of opportunities within NICE, as well as through direct training sessions.

Tim Barlow, a clinical research fellow for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and the University of Warwick, knows the value of the NICE programme. His one-year stint as a NICE Scholar (2013-14) has seen him at the helm of a project to develop a brand new NHS service for local patients with osteoarthritis.

On being a NICE Scholar, Tim said: “The NICE Scholarship not only allowed me to gain experience and training in NICE’s roles and methodology, but also allowed training relevant to my project.

“Through the Scholarship I have been able to collaborate with researchers across the country, which has improved the service we are planning, and has also opened the door for regional implementation.”

Meanwhile, Nigel Beasley, a Consultant ENT Surgeon at Nottingham University Hospital, has recently completed his 3-year NICE Fellowship. As part of this role he helped the Royal College of Surgeons and Surgical Speciality Associations become the first external bodies to be accredited by NICE as producers of guidance for commissioners.

On being a NICE Fellow, Nigel said: The NICE fellowship gave me the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals from health and social care passionate about doing the right thing for patients and the public.

“It helped me to make connections and allowed me to benefit from the expertise and knowledge of NICE specialists. The Fellowship was also of benefit to my Trust, through my role as Deputy Medical Director, and to NICE itself – I was a member of its CCGOIS (Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set)  Advisory Committee and an advisor to a number of NICE teams.

“I have now been appointed co-Chair of East Midlands Clinical Senate and will continue to work closely with NICE as vice Chair of the NICE CCGOIS Advisory Committee.”

NICE awards up to 10 Fellowships and 10 Scholarships each year. The positions are not paid, but NICE will meet all reasonable expenses – such as travel and accommodation – while undertaking activities associated with the programme.

Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive and director of health and social care at NICE, said: “Our Fellows and Scholars programme is now in its sixth year and we continue to see the benefits that this programme can provide to individuals, their organisations and to patients.

“Becoming a NICE Fellow or Scholar means experienced professionals can learn more about the inner workings of NICE, benefit from one-to-one mentoring and understand more about the services we provide. We are already seeing how previous participants [like Tim and Nigel] are using their knowledge to improve care at a local, regional and even national level.”

Professor Leng added: “We encourage anyone with the necessary experience and an interest in NICE to apply.”

Fellowships last for three years and are awarded to senior health and social care professionals (for example, trust, social care, clinical, public health and service directors), and senior consultants (both medical and non-medical).

Meanwhile, scholarships are project-based and run for twelve months. Qualified, experienced health or social care professionals such as registrars, managers and senior allied health professionals can apply for them.

Interested health and social care professionals can apply online and completed applications must be submitted to NICE by 5pm on Friday 14 November 2014. The successful applicants will formally begin their NICE-related activities on Wednesday 1 April 2015.