London-based independent eye surgery provider OCL Vision has appointed Nik Rudge as chief executive.

OCL stated that Rudge would lead a strategic expansion beyond the company’s heartland in Southeast England.

Rudge has leadership experience from outside the healthcare sector, having previously run a series of global businesses in the events industry.

Rudge said: “I questioned whether my work outside of healthcare would be transferable to what we do at OCL Vision, however, I now see the similarities. At the heart of the business is the focus on delivering a seamless experience, ensuring we have a team that is clear on what we are trying to achieve and the importance of their role in achieving it and, above all, listening to our patients’ feedback to ensure they have the best possible outcomes.

“As a newcomer to the UK healthcare sector, I am able to ask questions and challenge assumptions that an industry veteran might not and we are already seeing this impact positively for our patients, our team members and our shareholders.

“OCL Vision’s 80-strong team are peerless at what they do – the 128% growth achieved in the company’s first five years and 2,500 positive patient reviews are testament to that – but even the best businesses can make further gains by questioning the status quo.

“Clinical excellence and fantastic patient outcomes are the cornerstones of what we do, and my first priority is to deploy more of the people and processes that make the entire patient experience seamless from first contact to surgery and aftercare.”

“Our goal is to become the number one provider of personalised eye care in the UK. All our patients see a consultant surgeon who is a leader in their field right at the start of their journey, allowing them to choose a pathway that’s perfectly tailored to their needs. We want them to feel confident in the exceptional care they will receive.

“Looking to the future, we would like to offer the same exceptional care, and the transformative power of better vision, to more people. We’ll be doing this in a number of ways; growing our existing clinics and expanding our footprint to new sites across the UK, as well as partnering with independent practitioners and helping develop a new generation of ophthalmic surgeons who share our values and aspirations.”