New collaboration between King’s Business School and King’s College Hospital to help drive business excellence

24 April 2026 - King’s Business School has formalised a new partnership with King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together excellence in vital support areas that are essential to the delivery of high-quality healthcare.

The partnership sees King’s Business School students and staff, alongside NHS staff, offered opportunities to collaborate and boost understanding of both healthcare and business sectors, with students and lecturers gaining insights from the Trust’s practical experience in a complex, innovative organisational setting, and Trust staff learning from the Business School’s access to new and emerging thinking.

The agreement was marked by the signing of a partnership proposal at King’s College Hospital in April 2026. The agreement was signed by Professor Stephen Bach, Executive Dean of King’s Business School, and Roy Clarke, Chief Financial Officer at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

As part of the initial phase of this partnership, two King’s Business School students are currently undertaking 12-month placements within the Trust’s Finance Directorate as Assistant Management Accountant Trainees. These roles sit within core operational finance teams, placing students at the heart of a large, complex NHS organisation.

In recent months, the Trust’s Finance Directorate has also hosted a number of Master’s level students from King’s Business School. To support a module focussed on consultancy, the students supported work to better understand future drivers of the Trust’s financial position, during which they gained valuable experience of applying academic theory to real-work challenges and problem-solving.

The partnership supports the development of a future talent pipeline into the NHS by giving students early exposure to careers in healthcare management and finance. The partnership also helps King’s Business School in its work to increase understanding of public sector management and leadership. As the partnership develops, it will offer mentorship and reverse mentorship opportunities between both organisations, plus access to seminars, workshops and lectures.

For students, this represents an opportunity not only to apply academic theory in practice, but to engage with purpose-driven work that has a direct societal impact. For the Trust, it creates access to a pipeline of highly skilled, motivated graduates who understand both the technical and organisational demands of working within the NHS.

Professor Stephen Bach, Executive Dean of King’s Business School, said:

“I am delighted to formally launch this partnership with King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It reflects a growing recognition of the role business schools can play in contributing to large, complex regulated organisations, particularly in areas such as leadership, workforce development and operational improvement. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to strengthen their links between management education and healthcare practice.”

Roy Clarke, Chief Financial Officer at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, added:

“This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to developing future talent and supporting innovation across the health sector. The benefits are mutual, enabling our teams at King’s to stay up to date with the latest thinking and theory, with students undertaking placements with us boosting their understanding of day-to-day life in the NHS, and the challenges and opportunities this brings. We are excited about the potential of this partnership, and the shared opportunities for learning it provides.”