Laura O’Riordan, a former UK director of operations at Babylon Health, has been appointed CEO of Doctor Care Anywhere.
In August No.2-ranked HealthTech 50 firm Doctor Care Anywhere, headquartered in London and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, revealed that Ben Kent would step down from the role when a successor was found.
Now Doctor Care Anywhere Group PLC has confirmed that O’Riordan will join the company on 6th January 2025.
O’Riordan is currently president at eMed Healthcare UK, which acquired collapsed HealthTech star Babylon’s UK operations in August 2023 to continue its private and ‘GP at Hand’ NHS services under the name eMed.
At Babylon she also served as clinical partnership lead and VP of UK clinical operations. Prior to joining that company in 2018, she performed head of operations roles at The Good Care Group and Care UK.
Doctor Care Anywhere – Fast, convenient, and accessible healthcare, 24/7
“Following a targeted search process which attracted a very high calibre of candidates, we are delighted to be welcoming Laura O’Riordan to lead our business at this stage of DCA’s evolution,” said John Stier, chair.
“We have ambitious plans to drive significant profitable growth for the benefit of our stakeholders. We will firmly establish Doctor Care Anywhere as the leading provider of innovative virtual medical care.
“We are confident that, with Laura’s impressive track record and deep knowledge of our sector, DCA has the skills and experience to deliver these objectives.”
O’Riordan said: “I am excited to join Doctor Care Anywhere at this time. I look forward to working with colleagues and business partners to successfully grow the Company’s reach and reputation for high quality medical care.”
Separately, the company confirmed that two non-executive directors, Romana Abdin and Dr Aleksandra (Ola) Spencer, will retire from the board later this month.
Doctor Care Anywhere is one of the UK’s largest private providers of telehealth services, offering 24/7 online GP and Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) appointments via video and phone.
Customers can conveniently access advice, treatment, diagnostic referrals, private referrals, and prescriptions from expert qualified professionals.
For the six months ended 30th June, the company reported a rise in sales to £21.8 million from £19.2m in the corresponding period a year before. Net loss was £2.7m, compared to £6.2m.
Kent was credited with steadying the ship. Earlier in his career he spent more than seven years at Bupa, including the role of CFO for its international businesses.
He would go on to work in a variety of HealthTech startups, including an earlier stint as COO and CFO of Doctor Care Anywhere, before returning to the firm as interim CEO in February 2023.
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