One of the challenges of doing innovation in an acute NHS setting is allowing clinical staff the time to engage with projects. One way we’ve found to address this issue is to allocate significant time to roles through Innovation Fellowships, like the academic clinician approach to research projects.
What is an Innovation Fellow?
Innovation Fellows offer a practical and sustainable solution to the challenge of adopting digital innovation in healthcare by acting as a bridge between frontline clinical care, digital developers, and organisational leadership. Unlike busy clinicians, fellows have protected time to identify real clinical needs, evaluate digital solutions, and support their effective integration into everyday practice. As clinically active professionals, they understand frontline pressures and can guide innovators to design technologies that are usable, relevant, and aligned with clinical priorities.
Fellows play a critical role in improving adoption of digital health tools by mentoring staff, providing hands-on training, and building confidence in new technologies. By translating innovation into real-world settings, they close the gap between development and implementation, improving efficiency, patient care, and operational outcomes. Evidence shows that mentorship and practical support significantly improve technology uptake across the NHS.
What is TheHill’s Innovation Fellowship Programme?
The Innovation Fellowship Programme follows a structured two-year model. In the first year, fellows work with clinical teams and leaders to assess needs and identify areas where innovation can deliver meaningful impact. In the second year, fellows implement targeted projects, introducing and embedding digital solutions that enhance patient outcomes and service efficiency.
A key element of the programme is comprehensive fellow development. Training combines structured modules on healthcare innovation, leadership, ethics, project management, and stakeholder engagement with hands-on learning, mentorship, and real-world clinical exposure. This ensures fellows are well-equipped to lead complex innovation projects.
Fellows also take responsibility for designing and delivering solutions to specific clinical challenges through detailed needs assessments, collaborative project design, and close engagement with multidisciplinary teams, patients, and technology partners. Projects are evaluated to ensure measurable and sustainable benefits.
Beyond short-term implementation of new technologies, the programme aims to create lasting cultural change. Fellows will establish local innovation networks and communities of practice, developing a pipeline of future fellows and embedding a culture of continuous digital improvement across OUH.
So far, two Innovation Fellows have undertaken projects with TheHill. Use the navigation to the right to find out more about their work on the programme.
How can I find out more?
If you would like more information on our Innovation Fellowships or would like to talk to us about funding a future placement, please contact Stefania Schino, Partnerships & Income Generation Manager, via email, [email protected].