The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) has appointed Claire Whyley and Keith Richards members of its independent board of directors.
The pair were nominated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) alongside its rebuke of the private healthcare industry in August and is in-line with PHIN’s governance as required under the Private Healthcare Investigation Order 2014.
The appointments were officially announced at the company’s annual general meeting this week.
Whyley is a professional researcher, policy analyst and consumer advocate, with a focus on consumer behaviour and decision-making, consumer protection and consumer-focused regulation.
She specialises in user-led, evidence-based and impact-focused policy development, across a range of markets, with a particular interest in vulnerable and excluded consumers.
Alongside her role at PHIN, Whyley holds several non-executive roles including a CMA Panel, the Finance and Leasing Association Lending Code board, the WATRS independent panel and the Pay UK End User Advisory Council.
She was previously senior research fellow at the Personal Finance Research Centre, head of research and policy at the Welsh Consumer Council and deputy director of policy at the National Consumer Council.
Whyley said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help people better understand the healthcare sector and make well-informed choices about private healthcare.
“PHIN’s work offers a unique opportunity to support patient-focused improvement across the whole healthcare landscape and I’m excited to join the PHIN board and help the organisation achieve its objectives.”
Barrister, arbitrator and accredited mediator, Richards has served as an independent member and non-exec director on regulatory bodies in a variety of sectors and specialises in professional and industry self-regulation, equality diversity and inclusion, consumer rights, dispute resolution and redress.
He set up the Consumer Panel at the Civil Aviation Authority and served as its chairman for six years until 2017.
Richards is a member of the Financial Services Consumer Panel at the Financial Conduct Authority, an independent member of the General Chiropractic Council, and a panel member at the CMA.
He is also a board member at the consumer watchdog Transport Focus and chairman of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) at the Department for Transport.
He was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2022 New Year Honours list for his work on inclusion and access to transport for disabled people.
Richards said: “It is exciting to join the PHIN board at this very important time. And it’s a privilege to be able to help PHIN deliver transparent, accessible, easy-to-use and meaningful information about quality, performance and costs in the private sector.
“This will give people the ability to make well-informed choices about their healthcare decisions – decisions that in turn will drive improvements across the sector. I am very much looking forward to working with Claire, new colleagues and the wider PHIN team to deliver for patients.”
Jayne Scott, chairwoman of PHIN’s board, (pictured) said: “As an independent, not-for-profit, organisation working with the private healthcare industry on behalf of patients, having a balanced and independent approach to governance is very important.
“We are very pleased to welcome Keith and Claire to the PHIN board and greatly value the patient and consumer expertise and experience that they bring.”
There are 10 non-executive directors on the PHIN Board. Five of which are nominated: one by providers, one by consultants, one by private medical insurers and two by the CMA.