Population Health Fellowship
Population health is an approach aimed at improving the health of an entire population. It is about improving the physical and mental health outcomes and wellbeing of people, whilst reducing health inequalities within and across a defined population. It includes action to reduce the occurrence of ill-health, including addressing wider determinants of health, and requires working with communities and partner agencies.
The need for more population health is increasingly reiterated in policy and research, which is why healthcare systems are responsible for optimising outcomes and reducing health inequalities at the population level.
This is an opportunity for healthcare professionals from both NHS and non-NHS organisations, providing it is someone who is in a role that has relevance to Population Health, interested in population health and passionate about health inequalities. The fellowship targets early to mid-career healthcare professionals providing NHS services (AfC band 6 and above, or equivalent; dentists-in-training; doctors-in-training post-FY2 and their SAS equivalent). The aim of the fellowship is to develop a network of professionals from a non-population health background with population health skills to benefit place-based healthcare systems across England.
It is a one-year part-time programme at two days a week alongside your substantive post, which starts on Wednesday 1st October 2025. Fellows will work on a supervised population health project which is focused on health inequalities and will be supported by a taught programme.
Reimbursement of your salary element of the participation in the fellowship will be provided to your substantive employer and you must discuss this opportunity with your line manager and educational supervisor (if applicable) of your intentions to apply.
Applications are invited for up to seven Fellows in Population Health, funded by NHS England, and working in one of the following healthcare systems hosted commencing the programme on 1st October 2025:-
Devon Integrated Care System – hosted by Public Health team, Torbay Council
The PHF project will be part of the Turning the Tide on Poverty programme in Torbay. The programme is hosted by the Council, with a range of local partners. The Director of Public Health is the SRO.
Turning the Tide on Poverty is designed along Marmot principles, covering health and opportunity across the lifecourse, with particular emphasis on the economic determinants including employment, skills, housing and education.
There is some flexibility around the PHF project, depending on the skills and interests of the successful candidate, but it is expected to focus on partnership interventions to improve health outcomes and social mobility for young people and families in the target cohort. Systems and plans are already in development to support the work and include:
- Building on the Connect to Work and Workwell programmes to improve health and employment opportunities in partnership
- Promotion of disability confident employers
- Developing pathways for people with long term health conditions experiencing poor housing or cold homes
- Promoting mentoring and practical support for young people from the target cohorts, in partnership with business, voluntary sectors and anchor organisations
- Developing primary health support for people with long term conditions to help them take the first steps back into work.
Cornwall Integrated Care System – hosted by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
Project outline to be confirmed.
Bristol/North Somerset/South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Organisation - hosted by Public Health team, North Somerset Council
The Why Weight? Pledge for Creating Healthier Places Together is a compassionate, whole systems approach being implemented in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG). The Why Weight Pledge was co-produced by ICP partners and includes 10 commitments across 5 themes:
• Connect and collaborate
• Considerate communications
• Create healthier places
• Community-led
• Continue to learn
The Pledge is the first ICP-level set of commitments nationally and offers a unique opportunity and framework for shared leadership, partnership, strategic alignment and co-ordination of action across a breadth of organisations.
The project proposed involves:
1. Providing support to GPs to enable a dedicated focus on implementing the pledge and evaluating what is both feasible and effective in primary care. Initial discussions with GP practices interested in adopting the Pledge has demonstrated a need for dedicated capacity to support this work. Given the reach of GPs and their position as a first port-of-call across the population, there is scope for substantial population impact via these settings.
2. Supporting GPs, and other clinical and system colleagues, in developing actions that aim to reduce weight stigma and considering how to effectively evaluate impacts of the Pledge on lived experience of weight stigma. Stakeholders and members of our communities have highlighted a need to address weight stigma in health and care settings, which this would aim to address.
3. Contribution to, or lead of, any one of the existing workstreams e.g. (i) developing a shared approach to co-production with communities and involvement of VCSE partners; (ii) developing trauma-informed and non-stigmatising communication plans and campaigns; (iii) collaboration with planning colleagues within local authorities to explore options for action to create healthier places, and (iv) developing longer-term evaluation plans, dependent on capacity and areas of interest.
Other locations in the South West where Fellows will be hosted to be confirmed.
If you are applying from a training programme you will be required to provide a letter at the application stage from your training programme director to confirm that they will release you from the programme.
This fellowship was previously nationally delivered but this year is being delivered regionally.
There are links on this webpage regarding how to apply, the eligibility criteria and important documents such as the Rough Guide and FAQs. You will be required to copy/paste the application form into a document in order to submit or if you require the application form to be sent to you in a Word document, or have any other queries please email england.publichealth.sw@nhs.net
Closing Date for applications: - Wednesday 18th June 2025 5 pm
Proposed Interview dates - 3rd July 2025