Charlotte Davis, Head of Commercial Education and Events at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT), tells Healthcare World about learning with the best in class
In an era where healthcare challenges are increasingly global, the exchange of knowledge across borders has never been more vital. From AI-driven diagnostics to specialist training in geriatric care, hospitals and clinicians worldwide are looking to learn from each other’s expertise and experience. At the heart of this shared learning movement is Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, where Charlotte Davis, Head of Commercial Education and Events, is helping to turn one of the UK’s leading teaching hospitals into a global classroom for clinicians.
Charlotte has spent nearly a decade turning clinical expertise into structured learning programmes for audiences across the UK and worldwide. “I actually came from a logistics and events background,” she says. “Conferences, award ceremonies, big exhibitions—that was my world. I didn’t have an NHS background at all when I joined as a programme manager. But I’ve worked my way up to head of events, and now support clinicians to put together conferences, short courses, CPD-accredited content and a full portfolio of education for both our own staff and international learners.”
In the last financial year (2024–25), GSTT supported around 1,400 learners, cementing their reputation as one of the largest providers of this kind of education programme in the UK. “Guy’s and St Thomas’ is internationally renowned as a teaching hospital, and education is at the heart of everything we do,” Charlotte says. “It’s about training the next generation of clinicians and academics—not just in the UK but globally. It’s really important that we have those international relationships; and equally, partners abroad want to work with us because of our reputation for excellence and innovation.”
For Charlotte, it’s the culture of innovation that sets GSTT apart from other big teaching hospitals. “We have a really wide range of health disciplines, and we make sure learning is informed by research. Being part of the King’s Health Partners Academic Health Science Network (KHP) means we can bring together academic research and education under one umbrella as we are linked with King’s College London University, King’s College Hospital, and South London & Maudsley Hospital. That integration is hugely valuable.”
Through the important link with KHP, GSTT can add academic modules to many of its programmes. “All our learners become part of the KHP alumni community,” she says. “They can access leadership courses and other academic programmes, which is a real draw.
The International Clinical Fellowship
The International Clinical Fellowship Programme is perhaps the jewel in GSTT’s crown. “It’s unique within the NHS,” Charlotte explains. “We’re one of the only hospitals that will sponsor a GMC application and visa. From the moment of application, we offer full support right through to the first day in London. We have a dedicated admin team that helps with documentation, accommodation, flights—the whole package.”
The Fellowship runs year-round, across more than 1,000 adult and paediatric specialties. The team can even design hybrid programmes, for example both paediatrics and an adult specialty, or a combination of clinical work with AI research. “We’re really lucky to have the AI Centre for Value-Based Healthcare here,” she says. “We run a 12-month programme for clinical AI fellows, who spend part of their time with our AI team alongside clinical work. It’s a competitive, diverse group, and they’re exposed to real-world applications of AI in imaging and pathways.”
The aim of the Fellowship programme is to build lifelong relationships with clinicians across the globe who will take their NHS learning home to implement new pathways or procedures. “After completing the fellowship, the clinicians should feel they can pick up the phone to us for advice, or collaborate on research,” she adds.
Industry partnerships
Education at GSTT isn’t limited to clinicians. The team also works with pharma and medtech companies. “We run what we call disease-state academies,” Charlotte explains. “They follow a patient pathway from diagnosis through treatment and post-care, co-created with our clinical specialists. Pharmaceutical or medical device companies will sponsor consultants, doctors and nurses from a specific region to attend, so it’s a two-way learning opportunity.”
The NHS Navigation programme helps pharma staff understand how the NHS works in terms of procurement, strategy, long-term planning so they can be better partners, not simply transactional suppliers.
Meeting international demand
The Middle East is a major source of interest, particularly in specialties such as Geriatrics, Oncology, Cardiology, Emergency Medicine, and Obstetrics. “We have seven fellows from Saudi Arabia arriving this September,” Charlotte notes. “Generally, individuals apply, but they’re usually funded through ministries or embassies, such as Kuwait’s KIMS or the Saudi Embassy. If someone is really passionate about a particular area for their own career development, they can selffund—but the majority are supported by organisations.”
The most popular programmes are Assisted Conception and Obstetrics which are oversubscribed, while Cardiology and Adult and Paediatric allergy are also hugely sought after. Geriatrics is a newer offer but, again, it is already fully subscribed.
The Trust’s international outlook is matched by the diversity of its own workforce and patient population. “Our staff group is incredibly diverse, and so are the communities we serve in Lambeth and Southwark,” says Charlotte. “That means clinicians here see cases and conditions from all over the world. For overseas fellows, it’s reassuring—they’re not going to hear, ‘Oh, I’ve never seen that before’ because we have experience across the board.”
Ultimately, she sees GSTT’s education portfolio as part of a global movement to share expertise. “Healthcare is evolving so quickly—AI, genetics, new therapies. None of us can do it alone,” she says. “The Fellowship and our broader programmes are about mutual learning. Yes, people come here to learn from the NHS, but we also learn from them. It’s absolutely a two-way street.”
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