Transforming Learning in Healthcare: How Circle Health Group and Think Learning are Shaping the Future of L&D.
In today’s fast-evolving healthcare landscape, the ability to deliver high-quality, compliant, and personalised learning at scale is more than a nice-to-have, it’s essential. Circle Health Group, one of the UK’s leading private healthcare providers, is setting a new benchmark in workforce development through its strategic use of the Totara Learning Management System (LMS), expertly supported by Think Learning.
From Compliance to Career Development
With a workforce of nearly 13,000 staff across 54 hospitals, Circle Health Group has reimagined its approach to learning and development. What began as a compliance-driven platform has evolved into “Learning Space” a dynamic, user-centric LMS that supports continuous professional development, competency tracking, and leadership growth.
Adam Harvey, Digital Learning Manager at Circle, shared how the platform now integrates seamlessly with internal systems like Workday and IT infrastructure. This enables automated course allocation based on role, location, and site-specific needs, ensuring the right training reaches the right people at the right time.
A Partnership Built on Innovation
At the heart of this transformation is Circle Health’s close collaboration with Think Learning. Peter Holmes, Professional Services Team Leader at Think Learning, highlighted how their team of LMS specialists has co-developed custom features, including UX enhancements, bespoke theming, and a proprietary plugin library. This partnership has not only driven innovation but also earned industry recognition through award-winning projects.
Key Features Powering Progress
Circle Health’s LMS is more than a training portal, it’s a comprehensive development ecosystem. Key features include:
- Competency self-assessment and evidence submission, centralising regulatory compliance data.
- Integrated coaching and mentoring workflows, fostering peer support and leadership development.
- Bespoke accredited learning pathways, from healthcare assistant roles to masters-level qualifications.
- Personalised dashboards, offering visibility into compliance, appraisals, and development opportunities.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Data plays a pivotal role in Circle Health’s L&D strategy. With PowerBI dashboards and a dedicated data analyst, the organisation can visualise training effectiveness, track compliance, and identify trends. This has led to smarter resource allocation, improved workshop utilisation, and measurable cost savings.
Looking ahead, Circle Health plans to embed appraisal workflows directly into the LMS and explore AI-driven predictive analytics to tailor learning pathways based on individual aspirations and organisational needs.
Lessons for the Sector
Circle Health Group’s journey offers valuable insights for L&D professionals across healthcare:
- Strategic integration of LMS with HR and IT systems enhances automation and relevance.
- Collaborative vendor relationships enable continuous innovation and rapid problem-solving.
- A shift from compliance to career development supports retention, motivation, and succession planning.
- Centralised competency management simplifies audits and strengthens quality assurance.
- User-centric design boosts engagement and encourages ownership of learning.
Final Thoughts
Circle Health Group’s approach exemplifies how technology, when paired with strategic vision and strong partnerships, can transform learning in healthcare. For L&D leaders seeking to future-proof their workforce, the message is clear: invest in systems that are not only compliant but also empowering, data-informed, and built for growth.
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These insights were drawn from the recent Totara webinar Inside Circle Health Group: Creating Seamless, Scalable Learning for Healthcare. Speakers were Adam Harvey, Digital Learning Manager at Circle Health Group and Peter Holmes, Professional Services Team Leader at Think Learning. The session offered a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the UK’s leading private healthcare providers is transforming learning and development through strategic technology integration and collaborative innovation. You can watch the full webinar here.