Doctor Care Anywhere Group has appointed Laura O’Riordan as CEO.
Her latest role was as president at EMed Healthcare UK which was previously known as Babylon Health.
But she has also held roles at The Good Care Group, Care UK and Harmoni.
O’Riordan (pictured) will take up her role and her place on the company’s board from 6 January 2025 when Andrew Bellingham will also join the company in the newly created role of chief proposition and product officer.
Bellingham has been working in the health tech sector for more than15 years, leading the product development of companies including Ada Health, Lloyds Online Doctor and ICareHealth, all spearheading market first product propositions.
Since 2020, he has been director of product and strategy at Healthera.
In October, Health & Protection reported that Doctor Care Anywhere, which provides virtual GP services to Axa Health, had completed its action plan to reverse the downgrade that it received from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) last year, and was looking forward to a reinspection.
John Stier, chairman of Doctor Care Anywhere Group, said: “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.
“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.”
As previously indicated in an August 2024 board change announcement, Ben Kent will step down as CEO and from the board upon O’Riordan’s appointment, while remaining available to the business for a handover period.
The firm added its board would like to thank Kent for the successes achieved over the past two years and wish him well for the future.
It also confirmed that two non-executive directors, Romana Abdin and Dr Aleksandra Spencer, will be stepping down from the board. Romana Abdin will retire on 20 December 2024, and Ola Spencer will retire on 31 December 2024.
The board said it would like to thank the pair for their contribution to the board during their respective terms of office, adding their wise counsel and the benefit of their extensive industry knowledge have been valued and appreciated.
It added that there has been an ongoing process of recruitment to ensure that the board continues to have the appropriate balance of skills and experience for the future, and will update on progress once an appointment is confirmed.
