Dr Luke McGeoch
Luke McGeoch graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2018 with a Distinction in Medicine and a First-Class intercalated degree in Pharmacology. He served as supervisor of undergraduate physiology at Christ’s College, Cambridge. As an Academic Foundation Doctor in Bristol, Luke led a quality improvement programme to reduce discharge times, designed and delivered a peer-led teaching programme for foundation doctors, and coordinated a shadowing scheme for medical students. He was subsequently awarded an MRC-Oxford scholarship to study for an MSc in Global Health Sciences and Epidemiology at the University of Oxford, graduating top of year with Distinction.
Luke is currently an ST3 public health registrar in London. In his first rotation at Southwark Council, he worked with university leaders to develop COVID-19 outbreak plans and coordinate student vaccination and testing, produced a 5-year suicide prevention strategy, and prepared an early years health needs assessment. Working at UK Health Security Agency, Luke responded to complex communicable disease incidents and produced standard operating procedures and patient information materials that were used to support the management of disease outbreaks nationally. He also prepared a business case and completed an evaluation relating to the use of online notification and messaging systems within contact tracing.
Alongside these roles, Luke has published and presented research across areas including congenital heart disease screening, colorectal cancer screening, rotavirus vaccination, and infectious respiratory disease. He has led careers sessions on public health training, delivered seminars for medical students and allied health professionals, and interviewed applicants to public health roles.
Reason for applying for the scheme
Luke’s desire to apply for the scheme stemmed from a motivation to tackle structural healthcare issues influencing health at the population level, particularly the need for increased emphasis on disease prevention, health inequalities, climate change and workforce planning. Luke recognised that addressing these systemic issues demands first-class leadership. Further, his research experience motivated him to develop leadership skills and experience that would allow him to support the effective implementation of research findings at the policy level. In applying for the scheme, Luke wanted to expand his ability to persuade and negotiate with healthcare leaders, and to process and present complex information to both expert and non-expert audiences. Further, within the scheme’s teaching programme, he wanted to learn more about optimal approaches to strategic planning, project development and change management.
Luke is delighted to be joining the Improvement team at The Health Foundation, where he will have the opportunity to explore and support the organisation’s important work towards improving the healthcare system and supporting people to lead healthier lives. He is keen to take up the opportunities that the fellowship presents for meeting and sharing learning with fellows from a plethora of professional backgrounds and working across a range of host organisations, as well as networking with and seeking mentorship from healthcare leaders.
