The healthcare LMS trusted

for mission-critical learning.

Totara’s Healthcare and NHS LMS is built specifically for mission-critical learning, where compliance, clinical safety and audit readiness are non-negotiable. Unlike a standard LMS, Totara includes dynamic audiences that synchs with daily HR data feeds from ESR, and offers a range of sector-specific functionality extensions and reporting designed for healthcare regulators like CQC.  

It also supports clinical skills, onboarding, CPD and competency tracking (including transferring CSTF records between Trusts) to help staff get front-line ready, faster.   

Totara’s compatibility with the NHS ecosystem allows enables ICS cross-functionality, supporting the NHS at broader regional levels. Flexibility and adapting to change is important too, given the NHS infrastructure is frequently subject to review and changes imposed by the governing bodies. 

Yes. ESR integration comes as standard, with daily HR record updates that enable role and job-code based targeting, dynamic audiences and accurate compliance tracking. Totara’s flexible architecture also integrates with local workforce, rostering, or HR systems via automated feeds, Power BI exports and bespoke data sources. 

Totara’s range of healthcare and NHS focused product expansions (e.g. our mentor and coach matching plugins) also make it possible to consolidate legacy, disparate systems. 

Totara is designed for organisations where regulators expect quick answers and accurate reporting. CQC audit readiness is supported through real-time dashboards, automated reports, ESR-driven insights, and easy exports to Power BI.

Beyond NHS regulatory needs, Totara’s architecture and custom reporting address safeguarding, infection control and workforce compliance KPIs. The system’s design helps Trusts and departments  demonstrate to CQC they are well-led.  

Yes. Totara is built for diver multi-audience complexity that acknowledges the complexity and need for role-specific training. Totara is well suited to environments where there is either a high staff turnover, or talent mobility necessitates frequent retraining and certification.  

Dynamic audiences allow organisations to automate training pathways for clinical staff, non-clinical teams, bank staff, agency workers and volunteers, all with role-appropriate access and data privacy.  

Multi-site and multi-Trust structures are also supported via multitenancy, allowing wider access to learners across ICS regions beyond the immediate NHS footprint.  

Yes. Totara supports accessible, mobile-friendly learning and quick access to mandatory training and microlearning, helping shift-based staff complete essential training without disruption. Notifications and reminders (email/SMS) keep staff on track, even in operationally high-pressure settings.

The system is designed to eliminate workarounds and improve completion rates through better UX and cohesive learning journeys  

Yes. Totara includes powerful Seminars functionality to manage ILT sessions, simulation training, virtual classrooms and blended learning pathways. Totara’s user-friendly approach to building blended learning experiences help improve completion rates and learner engagement.  

Role-specific assessments and ILT scheduling are supported natively, while social and collaborative learning features such as workspaces and playlists connect learners and peers, encouraging reflection on applying learning to real-life context, discussions around best practices, and sharing useful resources.  

These social and collaborative learning tools can be paired with Totara’s advanced audience control settings to make them specific to cohorts or certain audience types.

Totara supports eLearning for Healthcare (ELFH) national content via AICC links, as well as supporting SCORM, video learning, online assessments, interactive content and blended learning pathways.

Seminar management integrates physical and virtual sessions, and organisations can import CSTF content, clinical guidelines and local modules. Totara’s flexible architecture supports third-party content libraries where required, including content from LinkedIn Learning and Go1.  

Totara replaces manual workarounds with automated workflows, ESR-driven targeting for personalised learning at scale, preconfigured compliance reports, Power BI exports and manager dashboards. Trusts report major efficiency gains: e.g., Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust reduced admin by 3 days per week using Totara automations.  

Free upgrades also reduce total cost of ownership compared to OLM and other providers, while Totara’s extensive range of feature extensions and plugins may offer system-consolidation cost advantages, e.g. customers have used our ‘Link’ plugin to replaces separate systems that offer Mentor and Coach matching.   

Totara is extremely configurable. Trusts can tailor workflows, dashboards, content structures, appraisal processes, reporting, and user journeys — and can extend functionality with an array of NHS and healthcare focused add-ons created to meet the need’s of various Trusts over recent years (e.g., revalidation tools, mentoring, appraisal workflows). Customers regularly help shape Totara’s roadmap, ensuring our LMS evolves to meet specific NHS requirements. 

Additionally, Totara’s flexible infrastructure and ability to integrate with the NHS ecosystem, alongside extended enterprise and multitenancy functionality, supports the NHS at regional ICS / ICB levels. 

Totara also offers personalised learning and compliance at scale in the private healthcare sector, both globally and in the UK – learn more about Circle Health Care’s drives learner engagement, develops staff and helps drive a culture of continuous learning. 

Yes. Totara is designed to keep healthcare organisations compliant, audit-ready and able to prove they are well-led — all of which directly improve patient safety. Real-time dashboards reduce risk by making compliance gaps visible early, automated reminders ensure timely training, and shared records support accurate workforce deployment and reduced duplication of effort. NHS Trusts use Totara to maintain workforce readiness in environments where safety and operational continuity are paramount. 

Tailored reporting also meet specific healthcare and NHS needs – for examples, tracking at organisational or department level when staff recertification cycles are due to expire, allowing leaders to forecast when compliance levels may drop, and to plan accordingly (e.g. in addition to system notifications, line managers can prompt individual’s who have not started their revalidation within set timeframes).

Watch our webinar recording to see how the Learning and Development team at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) supports the development of managers through its People Manager Programme, hosted on Totara.  

A healthcare focused LMS contains the core elements that support the workforce transformation that the NHS 10 Year Plan calls for, offering digital enablement, flexible roles and continuous development. The platform allows NHS Trusts to deliver modular, role-specific learning pathways (aligning with new roles and skillsets), surface real-time analytics on workforce capabilities (addressing inequalities and retention) and support cultural change towards empowered, distributed leadership. 

Learn more about the NHS 10 Year Plan and what it means for workforce and people leaders.  

Yes. In November 2024, Totara announced the acquisition of Think Learning and Chambury Learning. Both businesses were UK based and had partnered with Totara for a number of years, reselling, implementing and hosting Totara’s software. They provided bespoke client content and complementary software plug-ins with a focus on the healthcare sector, predominantly in NHS Trusts, as well as other UK public service sectors.  

These acquisitions bring a wealth of sector-specific capabilities and experience in-house to the Totara team. See the press release.