Healthcode has appointed Romana Abdin as its chair of the board, taking over from Dr Doug Wright who has been at the helm for just over five years, alongside his role as medical director at Aviva UK Health.

Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey-based Healthcode develops IT services and online solutions for the private health sector, including practice management systems, clinical coding tools and secure messaging.

Abdin has experience of health and finance sectors leadership roles and was until last year chief executive of Simplyhealth Group for eight years. She has also worked in a number of executive positions including corporate affairs and HR director and group legal counsel roles. Abdin began her career as a barrister specialising in corporate and commercial law. She has extensive board experience, sitting on group and subsidiary boards for more than 20 years.

Healthcode’s managing director Peter Connor said: “We are privileged and excited to be able to welcome someone of Romana’s calibre and expertise to the business and I am sure her leadership, energy and enthusiasm will deliver foresight, clarity and motivation to the board and company overall. On behalf of the Healthcode board I’d like to thank Doug for his council and chairmanship through the pandemic, our strategic review and recent growth initiatives. He hands over to Romana with the company in a strong and optimistic position”   

Abdin commented: “This is an exciting time to be chairing Healthcode as it takes a leap forward in terms of its online products and services and its engagement with stakeholders. My association with Simplyhealth Group means I have been familiar with Healthcode’s clearing services for many years, but this only scratches the surface. I’ve been impressed by Healthcode’s spirit of innovation, its focus on finding solutions which address the real-world challenges faced by the industry, such as The Private Practice Register, and its determination and ambition to be a force for technological progress. My role as chair will be to help Peter and the team make Healthcode a stronger and more agile operation that delivers excellent customer service and is able to achieve its considerable potential.”