Two Powys healthcare professionals have been selected as Bevan Fellows to drive health and care innovation in Wales.

Amy Goddard and Timothy Smith were among 24 workers chosen by The Bevan Commission for its Bevan Fellows programme recently.

These Bevan Fellows, representing a diverse range of specialties and health boards across Wales, will embark on a 24-month journey to lead, research, and implement innovative projects to improve health and well-being outcomes for the people of Wales.

The Bevan Fellows programme is a flagship initiative of the Bevan Commission, an independent, authoritative think tank that provides expert advice on health and care to the Welsh Government and leaders in Wales, the UK, and globally. 

The programme aims to develop a new generation of healthcare leaders equipped to address the complex challenges facing the NHS and drive transformational change within their organisations, communities and across Wales as a whole.

"We are thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of individuals to the Bevan Fellows family," said Dr Helen Howson, Director of the Bevan Commission. "Their passion, expertise, and commitment to innovation are truly inspiring. We are confident that they will make a significant contribution to improving health and care in Wales."

Amy is a Trainee Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology within Adult Psychology in Powys, and is about to finish her training.

She has a keen interest in co-production and service development to create change for more effective services and she is committed to using her role to implement positive change.

Her project will focus on reducing waiting times for Primary mental health services and Psychology with the introduction of a blended Cognitive Behavioural Therapy  pathway. It is hoped that this will create positive change for service users journey through mental health services.

Amy said; “I hope to help foster a drive towards research-based practice within my health board and champion the transformation of services to be more effective and sustainable. I hope that I will have the opportunity to connect to and learn through others and further develop leadership, communication and teaching skills.”

Tim is a business manager at Powys Teaching Health Board.

Tim has a background in learning and development, having spent a number of years as a secondary school teacher and senior examiner before taking a lead role in developing a training platform for one of the UK’s largest insurers.

He has been part of the Powys Living Well Service since April 2021, initially as Lead Digital Facilitator and then Business Manager.

His role includes managing the operational delivery of the service including providing support for all of their digital projects, from the way that the service uses clinical systems right through to helping people access online consultations.

He enjoys the challenge of making the service accessible to everyone. He is passionate using technology to support the work of the service, and is proud of the partnerships that the team has developed to enable this.

Tim recently completed his MSc in Leading Digital Transformation, and chairs a Community of Practice focused on Digital Inclusion, Accessibility and Education in health and social care.

Tim’s focus during the Bevan Fellowship will be on developing a toolkit for multidisciplinary teams to help them better understand their service users and deliver inclusive services in a rural area.

He will look at and build on existing good practice within Wales to develop a model on which to base a toolkit for accessible service development. 

The Bevan Fellows' projects span a wide range of areas, including improving patient care, embracing technology, addressing health inequalities, strengthening the workforce, and promoting collaboration across the healthcare system. 

The Bevan Fellows programme is built on three core pillars- research, leadership, and teaching & education. Bevan Fellows receive comprehensive mentoring and support throughout their journey, including access to learning events, research and publishing advice, peer support, and opportunities to showcase their work.

"The Bevan Fellows programme is more than just a fellowship, it's a community of practice," added Dr Helen Howson. "We foster a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual support among our Bevan Fellows, and we encourage them to support each other as well as the wider healthcare community in Wales. We believe that by working together, we can create a more sustainable, equitable, and effective health and care system for all."

For more information, please visit www.bevancommission.org.