Applications for 2025/26 have now closed.
Sponsored by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer of NHS England and managed by FMLM, the scheme is designed to support and develop pharmacists who present with the clearest potential to develop as clinical leaders of the future. Established in 2015, the scheme is a highly prestigious and competitive national programme that sees only a small number of pharmacists a year appointed after a rigorous recruitment process.
What are the benefits of becoming a Clinical Fellow?
Successful candidates gain:
- Enhanced skills in leadership and management, policy development, project management, research and stakeholder management.
- Supported leadership and personal development.
- the opportunity to lead on key projects which contribute to national healthcare priorities.
- Access to professional networks across pharmacy and healthcare at all levels.
- A highly developed understanding of healthcare policy and application.
- The skills to lead positive change.
- Enhanced capabilities at developing and working with teams; supporting others in developing their own personal insight and effectiveness.
What are the learning aims of the role?
Practice-oriented, evidence-based, theory-informed
To develop clinical fellows’ leadership and management knowledge and skills through experiential learning, supported by relevant evidence, concepts and theories, so that they can ‘make a difference’ to healthcare delivery and advance their individual capability
- To achieve a deeper insight into personal behaviors, leadership style and impact on others.
- To enhance emotional and social intelligence.
- To nurture and encourage personal agency.
- To enhance effectiveness as reflective practitioners.
Interprofessional and UK-wide
- To achieve a greater understanding of the wider context in which leaders operate across the healthcare system.
- To bring clinical fellows from different schemes and professions together to work and learn from one another.
- To support clinical fellows to work more effectively with colleagues in delivering and improving services for patients.
Co-creative and collaborative
- To provide opportunities for co-creation and collaboration on system, service, quality improvement and professional development.
- To support clinical fellows’ wellbeing and resilience.
- To gain insights into the challenges of and ways to lead through complexity.
- To develop a greater understanding of team-working and system leadership.
Inside the scheme
Hear from our former Fellows about how the scheme works in the video below (or watch here). Please note, the hosts mentioned in the video are from past schemes - hosts for 25/26 will be confirmed in April.
How do you apply to become a fellow?
Candidates may submit an application for a place on the scheme during the recruitment process each year. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed, and successful applicants are seconded from their current employer to take up a fellowship role for 12 months, starting in September.
Secondments are at the discretion of applicants’ substantive organisations and approval from substantive HR, finance and clinical directors should be sought alongside applications. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they have the relevant permissions by application or interview stage.
Clinical fellows work in an apprenticeship model to the most senior leaders in national NHS and healthcare-related organisations. This offers an unparalleled experience and the opportunity to develop a range of skills including leadership, management, strategy, project management and health policy. Within their host organisations, fellows lead on key projects which contribute to national healthcare priorities around patient safety, medicines optimisation, transfer of care, digitalisation and pharmacy workforce
Clinical Fellows also have the opportunity to access discounted membership or fellowship from FMLM during the scheme and upon graduation.