Healthcare provider Practice Plus Group has appointed Kirsty Phillips to the newly created role of managing director of its secondary care division.

The role will primarily focus on the growth of the company’s Wellsoon private healthcare offer in the self-pay sector and growing its private medical insurance business, as well as helping people access NHS treatment.

Phillips was previously global operations director at Bupa Group, and before that senior hospital contracts manager. Her career spans diverse sectors including specialist logistics across explosives and weapons systems, food and beverage and healthcare.

Practice Plus Group’s chief operating officer Ross Dowsett said: “This new role will be instrumental in growing our Wellsoon private healthcare to continue to deliver fast-access to high-quality care with a personal, patient-focused approach. She will also work closely with the teams on our NHS patient pathways to ensure that we continue to support in driving down waiting lists in orthopaedics, ophthalmology and general surgery.”

Phillips commented: “As well as aiming to be a disrupter in the PMI space and break out into new territory, I am keen to forge stronger links with local communities by increasing our presence in support of local causes and events, as well as continuing to be that helpful ally to patients. We want people to get back to their best sooner – be it through self-paid, insured or NHS routes. It’s critical that we help to drive down waiting lists in the areas where we have a presence to help people avoid long wait times and help them get back to their pain-free lives as quickly as possible.

“I’m also really passionate about corporate sustainability and keen to adopt new practices to help our hospitals and surgical centres to focus on ways to further reduce carbon footprints whilst still delivering unrivalled care to our patients.”