United Kingdom Field Epidemiology Training Program

Program overview

The United Kingdom Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) was founded in 2011 as a program associated with the European Program for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), and it was accredited by TEPHINET in the first accreditation round. Since August 2019, it has been a standalone U.K. program. The program recruits six to eight FETP fellows a year, two of which are currently funded by the U.K. Public Health Rapid Support Team. Fellows are hosted at both national and local centers. The program director is supported by three scientific coordinators.

Achievements

By the end of August 2019, fellows of the U.K. FETP had worked on 158 outbreak investigations and established 22 surveillance systems, as well as made contributions to 82 research projects, 101 manuscripts, and 242 oral and poster presentations in national and international conferences. U.K. FETP fellows and alumni have played key roles in the U.K.’s response to COVID-19. U.K. FETP fellows and staff have also been involved in 49 international missions. In 2019, the external evaluation of the program was published and implementation of recommendations are underway.