Nuffield Health has hired Karen Prins as chief operating officer for its hospitals from Circle Health Group.
Prins (pictured) will leave Circle Health Group where she was interim CEO and before that chief operating officer in September ahead of joining Nuffield Health in October.
She was succeeded by Paul Manning as chief executive officer at Circle Health last week.
Originally practising as a GP in South Africa, Prins moved into hospital management with senior roles within Netcare, where she led large-scale hospital operations and delivered one of Africa’s largest public-private partnerships.
In 2017, she moved to the UK to become chief executive officer of BMI Healthcare overseeing their turnaround and financial restructuring, before transitioning to Circle Health as chief operating officer following its acquisition of BMI in 2020.
Alex Perry, CEO of Nuffield Health, said: “We’re delighted Karen is joining the team at Nuffield as we take the organisation to a new level of healthcare delivery and operational performance. We searched worldwide for this role, to bring our patients the best possible capability, and she was the stand-out candidate.
“She brings with her a deep knowledge of hospital operations, outstanding clinical and commercial leadership, and a passion for delivering high-quality care centred on the patient and their needs.
“The team are really looking forward to welcoming her to Nuffield Health in October.”
Prins added: “I am excited to be joining the dynamic team at Nuffield Health and look forward to supporting the delivery of great care to the communities that we serve.”