Clare Fernandes

In 2020 Clare joined the BBC as the Chief Medical Officer and Head of the Health Team, playing a pivotal role in guiding the multinational organization through the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 2020-24 Clare worked non-clinical capacity at the BBC, Clare provided technical and functional expertise to key stakeholders, including the Director General, Executive Committee, HR, Safety, Legal and Insurance, and operational teams. She advised on health risks and emergencies, oversees the strategic development and implementation of the BBC’s health agenda including policy and health and wellbeing programmes, and ensures the governance of internal and external health provisions through adherence to frameworks and audit, providing assurance of professional standards to benefit the 22,000 BBC employees across 26 countries.

Prior to this, Clare has worked in clinical roles as an Occupational Physician with companies such as Adidas, Marks and Spencer, Doc Marten and the British Council.

Beyond her role at the BBC, Clare enjoys teaching and training. An accomplished author, Clare wrote "Questions and Answers in Occupational Medicine," a study aid for the Diploma in Occupational Medicine, which has been highly praised and is currently being revised for a second edition. Clare co-founded and lectures at the Occupational Health Academy, where she has helped over 200 doctors learn the principles and practice of Occupational Medicine since 2019. She serves as the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) Single Best Answer Lead for the MFOM Part 2 exam, where she has supported the FOM in creating a robust syllabus framework and standardising vignettes for consistent and high-quality assessments.