Celebrating cohort 1 of the Sussex Health Equity Fellowship

The eight Fellows who took part in the first cohort of the Sussex Health Equity Fellowship were celebrated at the “Reducing health inequalities in Sussex – achieving our shared ambitions” event which took place in Brighton yesterday.  

The Health Equity Fellowship is a nine-month programme delivered by Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex in collaboration with NHS Sussex, which equips participants with the skills and knowledge to become key change agents within their organisations, promoting a focus on equity and reducing health inequalities.   

The programme supported the Fellows to develop the skills and knowledge they needed to influence others, develop in their roles and use their learning to reduce gaps in access to care. Each Fellow delivered an impactful project which aimed to help people to live healthy, thriving lives:   

• Emily Leon, Deputy Designated Nurse, NHS Sussex: A website codeveloped with Children In Care, Care Leavers & Foster Carers to access health information and links to support in one place to impact health inequalities  

• Vicky Fenwick, Clinical Services Manager, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust: Improving access to structured group education for adults aged 18+ and newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes across Brighton & Hove, High Weald, Lewes and Havens.  

• Mat Alonso, Digital Nurse, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust: Implementing a digital inclusion strategy in a Community Trust to help service transformation.  

• Tom Golden, Business Intelligence Analyst, HERE – Care Unbound – Sussex MSK Partnership: Creating a semi-automated reporting system that can be used to identify and tackle health inequities amongst Sussex patients requiring musculoskeletal (MSK) treatment.  

• Lucy Cheshire, Compassionate Communities Lead, St Wilfrid’s Hospice (Eastbourne): Exploring and addressing common myths surrounding hospice services and identifying barriers to access. 

• Venita Hardweir, HIV/Sexual Health Pharmacist University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust: Exploring barriers and enablers to accessing antihypertensive agents for working aged adults living in Sussex.  

• Fern Bolwell, Learning Lead, HERE – Care Unbound – Sussex MSK Partnership: Data has shown that a number of people from Crawley’s Asian population were not accessing Musculoskeletal services equitably. Experimenting with new ways of delivering care in the community and supporting this work with training to increase understanding and embed a health equity lens within our work.  

• Julie Kalsi, NHS Sussex Primary Care Transformation Lead: Julie’s project, Equitable Access to GP-Led Care, focused on identifying and addressing barriers that prevent equitable access to GP services across Sussex. This project examined the specific needs and challenges experienced by underserved communities in accessing GP care. By collaborating with local health providers and community stakeholders, Julie worked on developing recommendations for improving service accessibility and has laid the groundwork for future initiatives to foster inclusive care models across Sussex. 

All the Fellow’s project posters summarising the projects and their outcomes can be viewed here.  

The Fellows received their certificates for completing the Fellowship at NHS Sussex’s “Reducing health inequalities in Sussex – achieving our shared ambitions” event on 14 November. The event looked at the ways to support partners to achieve shared ambitions for reducing health inequalities in Sussex through integrated system working.  

George Anibaba, Senior Innovation Manager at Health Innovation KSS, said, “When I reflect on the incredible journey of our first cohort of Health Equity Fellows, I am really moved by the passion and resilience each Fellow has shown. It has been a humbling privilege to work alongside such inspiring change agents, who have poured their energy, empathy and expertise into reshaping the health equity landscape in Sussex. Each project reflects not just a commitment to equitable care, but a deep respect for the lives and voices of those often overlooked. Watching our Fellows grow in influence, courage and impact has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. My heartfelt congratulations to each of you, you have not only set a remarkable precedent for those who will follow but have, in no small measure, helped to shape a brighter, fairer future for the communities we serve.”  

Find out about the Fellows taking part in cohort 2 here.