Workforce, training and education
East of England
Trailblazer Deprivation Fellowship Scheme
Applications are now open!

It isn't easy to work in areas of deprivation, but it is incredibly rewarding. The Trailblazer Deprivation Fellowship Scheme is a great opportunity for GPs with the passion and desire to improve the health of vulnerable and marginalised patients.

The Trailblazer Deprivation Fellowship Scheme supports newly qualified GPs (< 5 years) to work in practices in areas of socio-economic deprivation. It aims to give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to practice in challenging environments and to reduce health inequalities, improving care for patients who live in poverty and/or belong to marginalised groups.

If you have any questions, please contact primarycare.eoe@hee.nhs.uk

 

Who is it for?

Trailblazer Fellows are GPs in the first five years post completion of training, employed by practices in areas of deprivation. Each week they spend between four and eight sessions working clinically (negotiated with the practice) and have two sessions of personal development time, for which the practice receives backfill from NHSE.

What is the offer?

Alongside their 4-8 sessions working clinically (to be negotiated between fellow and practice), fellows will have two sessions of personal development time, for which the practice receives a standard salary contribution backfill in line with NHSE's National post CCT fellowship programme. (£19,688 PA)

During their personal development time Trailblazer GPs receive programmed activities to support their development, which might include:

  • Teaching sessions on relevant topics run nationally by FairHealth (info here) and regionally by NHSE
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • An action learning set
  • Attendance at conferences
  • Time for personal reflection

The participating GP would need to be available on Fridays when mandatory national and regional training is scheduled. 

Expressions of Interest

The Primary Care School at NHS England is delighted to launch this fellowship opportunity for First5 GPs in the East of England. Following 3 successful cohorts of the Deprivation Fellowship, we are pleased to announce a fourth cohort which is expected to commence in April 2024.

Cohort 4 has now started.

Current Trailblazer GP Fellows

 

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Bekah Davis qualified as a GP in November 2021 and work in Bury Park Luton as a salaried GP.  Bury Park is an area of significant deprivation and is home to a large South Asian population. She applied to the trailblazer fellowship as an opportunity to gain greater understanding of the challenges her patient population face and with the ultimate aim to better serve them in general practice.
Outside of medicine she enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outside and keeping active particularly with running and gardening. She also has a longstanding ambition to teach herself to sew, but is yet to convince anyone to wear one of her garments!

 

 
Rajan Nimalanathan is working as a salaried GP in a large practice based in Watford. He has a keen interest in Global Health issues and have enjoyed working in various health settings across the world. His practice serves a very large and diverse patient demographic with areas of significant deprivation. This fellowship will help him develop his interests in health equity and migrant health further while also giving him a better tool set to help care for his patients.

 

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Kayleigh Weedon is a salaried GP working in Ipswich, Suffolk, which is where she undertook her GPVTS training. She undertook her MBBS at Norwich Medical School, UEA, and has a role there as an honorary senior lecturer due to start later this year. Throughout this fellowship year she is keen to learn more about the local health inequalities that patients face, and also learn more about opiate de-prescribing, prison medicine and domestic violence. In her spare time she enjoys visiting National Trust properties, swimming and pub quizzes. 

 

 

Rabia Younas is recently qualified GP working as salaried in Luton. She is very excited about this opportunity or deprivation fellowship  and wanted to improve health equity in primary care. She is looking forward to do project in fellowship.  As a trainee she was involved with QIP addressing military veterans  and enjoyed it throughly. 

 

Alex Bertie has recently completed her GP training in Hackney, London which is where she developed a passion for aiming to improve the access to and experience of healthcare for some of their most vulnerable patient groups.  She has now relocated to Essex and is about to take up a salaried post in Chelmsford, which has a diverse population with pockets of deprivation. She see's the deprivation fellowship as a fantastic opportunity to meet other likeminded colleagues who are also interested in tackling health inequality.  She thinks there is lots to learn and hopes to become a more well rounded GP who is able to adapt more readily to the needs of the patient sitting in front of her. Outside of medicine she enjoys yoga and making handmade scented candles!
The experiences of Deprivation Fellows
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