Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen who founded the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) is stepping down after nine years at the helm of the organisation.
Jayne Scott (pictured) will succeed Dr Vallance-Owen taking on the position of chairwoman in February.
Scott has been a non-executive director on the PHIN board since 2015 having been nominated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) where she was a panel member.
The chartered accountant is also currently a non-executive director with Scottish Government, the NHS Counter Fraud Authority and the Coal Authority.
She has previously sat on the boards of the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, Ofgem and the Marine Management Organisation, and is also heavily involved in consumer issues along with being a member of Electricity North West Limited’s Consumer Engagement Group.
Vallance-Owen co-founded PHIN in 2012 along with chief executive Matt James. PHIN was initially established at the request of private hospital operators to provide a trusted safe haven for private care data similar to NHS Digital, to enable benchmarking and better understanding of care quality.
Under his leadership, PHIN won a public mandate as the official independent information organisation for private healthcare as the result of the CMA’s investigation of the sector in 2014.
Right time for fresh leadership
Dr Vallance-Owen said it felt like the right time to hand over to fresh leadership and added that he would continue to support the team but having turned 70 earlier this year, it was time to reign back on some of his commitments.
“I believe passionately in the mission of PHIN and I’m proud of the progress we have made in making private healthcare more transparent and open than ever before,” he said.
“People considering private healthcare deserve reliable, independent information about services. I’m pleased to say that because of PHIN there is now more comprehensive real data-based information available for patients.
“I am particularly proud that PHIN has pushed the agenda for publishing health outcomes. This is vital information not only for consultants and hospitals to understand and improve their services, but also for patients to help them make informed choices.”
Dr Vallance-Owen added that having worked with Jayne as the deputy chair of PHIN he was confident in her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.
Scott added: “Andrew will be a hard act to follow. I want to recognise his leadership, his unwavering dedication to patients and consumers, and his focus on clinical outcomes, all of which will be greatly missed.
“However, he leaves PHIN having achieved so much over the last nine years and in a very strong place to move onto the next phase of its development.
“On a personal note, I’m delighted to be taking on the role of chairwoman. I believe going forward we can, and must, work together in partnership with the private hospitals, consultants, and our other stakeholders in the sector to deliver better information for patients.”