Healthcare group HBSUK has appointed Dr Gary Bolger as a non-executive director.

Bolger has experience in both the private and public sector of healthcare. He worked in the NHS for 17 years starting in a variety of hospital posts and a year in general practice before moving into public health medicine. He was a consultant in public health for more than eight years in Berkshire working in commissioning for the health authority and with general practitioners. Until his retirement two years ago, Bolger spent 19 years as AXA PPP’s head of medical policy and for eight of these years as its chief medical officer.

At AXA PPP he supported the domestic and international businesses setting the claims and was the main source of medical advice, leading a team of 34 including six doctors covering medical policy, medical underwriting, provider audit and investigations, health care pathways and provider selection. He helped develop new products and initiated the guiding of customers to and selection of providers.

Mark Fountain, founder and chief executive of HBSUK said: “We look forward to sharing in Gary’s sage and informed guidance in supporting us to transform outpatient services and developing our Virtual Lucy platform to be the method of choice for patients, clinicians and clients entering both NHS and private environments.”