Healthcare Skills

What Healthcare Skills does

Healthcare Skills Training International (HSTI, trading as Healthcare Skills) is a Glasgow-based, founder-owned private limited company founded in 2005 by CEO Diane Irvine. It designs and delivers regulated, credit-rated professional qualifications for two principal customer groups: postgraduate clinicians and allied healthcare professionals seeking Level 7 postgraduate diplomas (in clinical education and in leadership for healthcare, with a combined diploma also offered), and non-clinical medical device industry professionals (sales representatives, clinical educators, product specialists) who require credentialing to access UK hospital operating theatres and clinical areas. The company's core regulated offerings — the Award in Access to Operating Theatres (SCQF Level 8) and the Award in Access to Hospitals (EduQual Level 3) — are SQA-accredited, benchmarked to National Occupational Standards, and accepted by all major UK credentialling platforms including IntelliCentrics/Sec3ure and MIA/LSI Register.

The platform architecture is a conventional education delivery stack: live virtual classrooms with 360-degree virtual tour technology that simulates operating theatre environments, paired with Moodle (delivered via Titus Learning) as the learning management system for self-paced content, online assessments and certificate issuance. Course management and CRM run on Monday.com. Faculty is distributed, comprising senior NHS consultants, regulatory experts (BSI, BAREMA) and industry clinicians (Align Technology, Straumann), with notable figures such as Professor Shafi Ahmed on the teaching roster.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time course fees ranging from £450 to £5,200 depending on programme and membership status, with a recurring biennial reaccreditation stream at £65+VAT for industry-facing theatre access qualifications. Distribution is sales-led: open-enrolment virtual courses for individuals and small groups, bespoke closed courses for organisations of 7+ employees, and an NHS bursary programme offering 100 subsidised places per course. The company markets primarily through its website, LinkedIn, email newsletter, CPD-accredited industry events (IPSS, The Surgeon Show 2026) and word-of-mouth. Geographic reach now spans the UK, mainland Europe (via a formal European subsidiary) and South Africa (a centre in Gqeberha opened in 2023), though the UK remains the core market.

Name

Healthcare Skills

Legal name

Healthcare Skills Training International Ltd

Website

https://healthcareskills.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Healthcare Skills Training International is a Glasgow-based, founder-owned provider of SQA-accredited postgraduate diplomas and regulated theatre/hospital access qualifications for clinicians, NHS staff, and medical device industry professionals across the UK, Europe and South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Professional Education and Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Life Sciences (EDAAAPAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications (EDAAANAI), Healthcare Providers (EDABALAN), Online Healthcare & Nursing Universities (Allied Health, RN-to-BSN, etc.) (EDAHALAF)

Keywords

• Professional healthcare education
• Postgraduate clinical training
• Theatre access qualifications
• Healthcare leadership training
• Medical device training

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Education Courses: Provides credit-rated, short-course professional qualifications including postgraduate diplomas in clinical education, leadership for healthcare, and theatre/hospital access qualifications. Revenue generated through course fees for open enrollment programmes and closed group bookings for organisations. Pricing ranges from £450-£5,200 per course depending on programme and membership status.
2. Theatre and Hospital Access Qualifications: Delivers regulated qualifications for non-clinical industry professionals requiring access to clinical areas. Re-accreditation courses available every two years at £65+VAT, generating recurring revenue from the professional access qualification market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Healthcare Skills Training International delivers accredited, credit-rated postgraduate qualifications and short courses for clinicians, allied healthcare professionals, and medical device industry personnel. Core offerings include postgraduate diplomas in Clinical Education and Leadership for Healthcare, regulated Theatre and Hospital Access qualifications, and continuing professional development courses delivered via virtual classroom with 360 virtual tour technology. Courses are benchmarked to National Occupational Standards and externally accredited by EduQual/SQA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diploma in Clinical Education (EduQual Level 7), PG Dip A postgraduate diploma (Level 7 / EQF Level 7) for clinicians and allied healthcare professionals who need a formal teaching qualification. Delivered via two-day virtual classroom plus pre-course study and post-course assessments, with credits transferable towards Masters degrees. Standard price £2,650; RCGP/RCP/AOME member price £2,550.
• Diploma in Leadership for Healthcare - Human Factors and Neuroscience (EduQual Level 7) A postgraduate diploma (Level 7 / EQF Level 7) covering leadership, human factors, and neuroscience for healthcare professionals. Delivered as a fully taught course in live virtual classroom. Standard price £2,650; RCGP/RCP/AOME member price £2,550. Credits transferable towards Masters degrees.
• Diploma in Clinical Education and Leadership for Healthcare Professionals (EduQual Level 7), PG Dip A combined hybrid 60-credit Level 7 postgraduate diploma for healthcare professionals seeking both clinical education and leadership qualifications in a single programme. Delivered via live virtual classroom. Standard price £5,200; RCGP/RCP/AOME member price £5,100.
• Award in Access to Operating Theatres (SCQF Level 8) An SQA-accredited qualification (SCQF Level 8) providing non-clinical industry professionals with formal assessed competence to access operating theatres and clinical areas. Includes 360 virtual tour of theatre suite, Professional Qualification Registration for EduQual, and re-accreditation recommended every two years. Priced at £935 + VAT where applicable.
• Award in Access to Hospitals (EduQual Level 3) An EduQual Level 3 qualification providing hospital access credentialing for both industry professionals (medical device company representatives) and NHS staff. Includes professional qualification registration for EduQual. Industry price £500; NHS price £450.
• Theatre Access Reaccreditation A self-paced online reaccreditation course for individuals who have previously completed the Award in Access to Operating Theatres. Required every two years to maintain credentialed access status. Priced at £65 + VAT where applicable.
• Telemedicine Qualification Course The UK's first accredited telemedicine qualification, equipping doctors to deliver online appointments and video consultations. Targeted at medical professionals seeking formal credentials in remote consultation, launched in response to pandemic-driven demand.
• CAOS UK - Principles of Computer and Robotic Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty A Postgraduate Diploma in the Principles of Computer and Robotic Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty, developed in partnership with CAOS UK. Targeted at clinicians and healthcare professionals seeking credentials in robotic-assisted surgery.
• Endoscopy Practitioner and Endoscopy Support Staff Training Courses Entry-level training courses for endoscopy practitioners, associates, and endoscopy support staff working in healthcare settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Credits from HCS qualifications are accepted by universities towards Masters degrees, with universities typically granting exemptions for the whole credit value where the applicant is medically qualified and the HCS course is relevant.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, flagship, core, key account and operational.

• International Paediatric Simulation Society (IPSS)strategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 May 2026HSTI provides formal CPD accreditation for the IPSS 2026 conference programme - the world's largest meeting dedicated exclusively to paediatric and perinatal simulation. This partnership supports global education standards in simulation-based clinical training.
• The Academy of Medical Educators (AoME)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2021Corporate partner of AoME, whose mission is to improve patient care through teaching excellence. AoME members teach on HCS courses, and this partnership reflects the shared ambitions of both organisations for clinical education excellence.
• Cogent SkillscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2017Cogent Skills completed the National Occupational Standards mapping exercise for HCS qualifications. Cogent Skills is responsible for setting skills standards on behalf of UK science industry employers, covering life sciences, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical technology and consumer healthcare.
• Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2017ABHI warmly welcomed HC Skills achievement of National Occupational Standards status for theatre access and hospital access programmes. ABHI is the industry association for the medical technology sector in the UK.
• BaremacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2017Barema, the trade association for anaesthetic and respiratory device suppliers, works in partnership with HC Skills and extended congratulations on achieving National Occupational Standards. They are a training partner of HC Skills.
• EduQualcoreOthersEduQual is the awarding body that approves and regulates Healthcare Skills Training International as a training centre. EduQual is SQA-Accredited and a full member of the UK Federation of Awarding Bodies. They quality-assure HCS's provision of courses and qualifications, ensuring standards are maintained.
• NHS Englandkey accountOthersNHS England logo appears on the partners page, indicating an ongoing working relationship for NHS staff professional development and training programmes.
• Monday.comoperationalTechnology or IntegrationMonday.com is used as the CRM/course management system for Healthcare Skills Training International according to their privacy policy.
• Titus Learning/MoodleoperationalTechnology or IntegrationTitus Learning/Moodle is used as the learning management system (LMS) for delivering online courses and assessments.
• XerooperationalTechnology or IntegrationXero is used for accounting purposes as stated in the privacy policy.
• Microsoft OneDriveoperationalTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft OneDrive is used for secure document storage as part of the data protection infrastructure.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NB Medical Education: UK-based provider of accredited GP and primary-care education, including virtual courses, conferences, and CPD content for practicing clinicians. Comparable to HCS in serving practicing healthcare professionals with accredited, time-efficient online training, though with deeper GP/primary-care focus.
• BMJ Learning: BMJ's online continuing medical education platform offering accredited CPD modules and courses to clinicians worldwide. Comparable to HCS as a digital-first provider of accredited, credit-rated professional development for healthcare professionals, with broader course catalogue but less postgraduate-diploma depth.
• M&K Update: UK-based provider of accredited short courses and conferences for nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals. Comparable to HCS as a similarly-sized specialist in healthcare professional short courses and CPD-accredited training, with overlapping customer segments in NHS clinical staff.

Broad incumbents

• Royal College of Surgeons of England: Professional membership body delivering accredited surgical education, CPD courses, and clinical training programmes to surgeons and the wider surgical team. Comparable in delivering credit-rated healthcare professional qualifications, particularly surgical education, overlapping with HCS faculty's surgical training focus.
• The Royal Society of Medicine: UK membership organisation providing accredited CPD events, courses, and e-learning for healthcare professionals across specialties. Comparable to HCS in delivering accredited professional development to clinicians, with a wider specialty footprint and longer operating history.
• Royal College of General Practitioners: UK professional body for GPs delivering accredited CPD, diplomas, and educational programmes. Directly comparable as HCS offers RCGP member discounts on diplomas, and both serve clinicians seeking postgraduate-level qualifications and clinical education credits.
• Royal College of Physicians: UK professional body offering accredited CPD courses, leadership programmes, and education accreditation for physicians. Comparable to HCS as HCS faculty is referenced in RCP-related materials and HCS offers member discounts to RCP members, reflecting overlap in physician-targeted clinical education.
• BPP University: Large UK-based professional education provider offering vocational qualifications, healthcare leadership programmes, and short courses. Comparable to HCS as it sells Level 7 professional training into the healthcare workforce, though at much greater scale and broader portfolio.

Others

• Cogent Skills: UK sector skills council for science industries, which completed the NOS mapping for HCS qualifications. Comparable as an enabler/regulator in the medical-device training ecosystem — it sets industry skills standards that HCS's theatre access qualifications align to, creating a partnership/standards-adjacency relationship.
• Academy of Medical Educators: UK professional body setting standards for medical educators. Listed as a corporate partner of HCS and source of faculty; comparable in that it also advances clinical education excellence, though primarily as a standards/credentialing body rather than course-delivery competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HealthcareSkillsTrainingInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/healthcare-skills-training-international
• Xx.com/hcstintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Healthcare Skills