After a successful five year tenure at Care UK, medical director and responsible officer Rob Loveland is planning his retirement. Here he explains why this role offers the right successor an opportunity to provide highly visible and inspiring clinical leadership, championing a professional and open culture which empowers staff to consistently deliver high quality compassionate care.

Care UK is a privately owned company dealing in the provision of healthcare to NHS – and more recently private patients across a wide portfolio of both primary and secondary care. As medical director and responsible officer of secondary care, I also fulfil the role of infection prevention and control director.

I came to this position five years ago, having spent 18 months as medical director in an NHS trust, following a 24 year career as an intensive care anaesthetist engaged in a number of medical leadership roles. In the NHS, I became known for always being approachable, but uncompromising in my approach to quality. I want colleagues to feel they can tell me about any issue and that I’ll listen. When I first began working in intensive care a senior colleague gave me some advice: to always listen, think, then act – in that order. I’ve always tried to stick to that, although when you’re under pressure it’s easy to get it the opposite way around!

Why this job?

Having worked for many years as a consultant in the NHS, I wanted to work for an independent healthcare provider with a defined portfolio of care. Here at Care UK we can concentrate on delivering excellent planned care that isn’t susceptible to the disruptions from emergencies that I experienced in the NHS. My replacement will get the opportunity to work with a close knit team over a wide area of professional responsibility, for an innovative company with a track record of quality healthcare delivery.

Why this company?

Here at Care UK we are small enough to facilitate close working relationships, but large enough to make a significant contribution across many avenues of healthcare and operate large diverse health delivery models. There’s a very positive attitude among staff – and patients – here which is very refreshing. In my travels around our treatment centres I’ve met colleagues with a genuine “can do” philosophy and patients who are incredibly positive about the experience they’ve received.

How will the role advance your career?

This role will allow someone to develop their clinical career by combining the responsibilities of both medical director and responsible officer in a different setting, melding the requirements of good governance in an efficient business model. They will have a chance to use their medical and clinical expertise, ideally in anaesthesia, to provide strategic insight to the future of our clinical development.

The role offers the opportunity to provide highly visible and inspiring clinical leadership for all staff throughout healthcare, championing a professional and open culture which empowers staff to consistently deliver high quality care with compassion. Supporting a multiskilled, multidisciplined and diverse clinical workforce to work as a cohesive operational group delivering first class treatments to patients.

To learn more and apply to Care UK’s vacancy of medical director and responsible officer view the job advertisement by clicking here.

Should you wish to discuss this position and learn more about Care UK before making an application please contact head of resourcing, Matt James by emailing matthew.james2@careuk.com