David Nott Keynote Speaker

Consultant surgeon and expert in general, cancer, vascular and laparoscopic surgery.
Provides surgical treatment to victims of conflict and catastrophe all over the world on behalf of NGO's and Charities.
Founder of the David Nott Foundation supporting surgeons developing their skills for warzones and austere environments.

David Nott's Biography

David Nott gained his medical degree from Manchester University and in 1992 gained his FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons of England to become a Consultant Surgeon. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 Birthday Honours. In 2016 he received the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award and the Pride of Britain Award.

He has been a Consultant Surgeon at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for 23 years where he specialises in general surgery. Mr Nott also performs vascular and trauma surgery at St Mary’s Hospital and cancer surgery at the Royal Marsden Hospital. David is an authority in laparoscopic surgery and was the first surgeon to combine laparoscopic and vascular surgery.

For the past twenty three years David has taken unpaid leave each year to work for the aid agencies Médecins Sans Frontières, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Syria Relief. He has provided surgical treatment to the victims of conflict and catastrophe in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Chad, Darfur, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Iraq, Pakistan, Libya, Syria, Central African Republic, Gaza and Nepal.

As well as treating victims of conflict and catastrophe and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charitable causes, David teaches advanced surgical skills to local medics and surgeons when he is abroad. In London, he teaches the Definitive Surgical Trauma Skills (DSTS) and Surgical Training for the Austere Environment (STAE) courses at the Royal College of Surgeons.

In 2015 David established the David Nott Foundation with his wife Elly. The Foundation supports surgeons to develop their operating skills for warzones and austere environments.

Leadership and decision-making under extreme pressure

Medicine in conflict zones and humanitarian crisis response

Resilience, courage, and working in high-risk environments

Training and innovation in austere and emergency medicine

The human impact of war and global health challenges

He has spent decades operating in the world’s most extreme environments, delivering life-saving surgery in conflict and disaster zones across the globe.
He translates frontline medical experience into powerful insights on decision-making, resilience and performing under pressure.
He brings exceptional credibility as a leading surgeon and humanitarian, with extensive experience in trauma and complex surgical care.
He is a compelling speaker who shares deeply human stories from warzones, offering perspective on courage, leadership and purpose.
His insights equip organisations to remain calm in crisis, act decisively and lead with clarity in the most challenging conditions.