Leading NHS eye health provider SpaMedica has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of Jamie Hanson, in the newly-created role of Director of Central Operations.
Jamie joins the company’s board of directors from his previous role as Operations Director at Alliance Medical and will take responsibility for six core functions at SpaMedica’s Bolton head office: IT; facilities; fleet and transport; hospital services; patient relations; warehouse and delivery, and the executive support team – overseeing more than 400 employees.
Before moving into healthcare, Jamie held senior positions within the hospitality sector – he was Operations Director at Punch Pubs and also had a 20-year career at McDonald’s UK, in roles including Head of Training and Director of Franchise Operations.
He says he is looking forward to a future of ‘innovation and continuing exemplary patient experience’ at SpaMedica – one of the UK’s largest NHS cataract surgery providers. The company has over 50 hospitals and recently expanded its surgeon training programme, offering more cataract training placements than any other independent service provider.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for me, joining a company which is leading the industry and has vast amounts of potential ahead. SpaMedica’s many accomplishments to date – such as all hospitals inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) receiving ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ ratings – inspired me to take the role, and I’m looking forward to leading the team to future success,” Hanson explains.
“I see a big similarity to providing excellent service whether in healthcare or hospitality. We should constantly strive to exceed the patient’s (or customer’s) expectations. I see countless examples as I visit SpaMedica hospitals where our teams are doing just that; it’s impressive to see.
“That said, I’m excited to push boundaries and challenge myself and the team to continually improve performance. We should always strive to be better than we were yesterday.
“I’m also driven by the opportunities offered by technology, looking at how innovation - scalable systems, digitalisation, even AI - might help us optimise SpaMedica’s exemplary patient experience in the future. There’s a lot for me to get stuck into, and I’m relishing this new chapter.”
Jamie’s career path has seen him navigate a skills route. He joined McDonalds at just 17 years old and demonstrated a work ethic that led to frequent promotions as the company embarked on ambitious expansion. This led to management positions for Jamie, which included being based out of the company’s worldwide HQ in Chicago for two years and overseeing restaurant operations in the UK.
He explains: “I’ve built a breadth of knowledge throughout my career - first hospitality and latterly within healthcare - around managing large teams, motivating people to deliver their very best and exceed expectations.
“Being a problem-solver is important too, finding solutions to barriers that may impact performance. Those things are transferable across any industry and I’m excited to bring my skills to the table for SpaMedica. It’s an exciting time to join the company, in a new role where I can make a positive impact, and empower other employees across the company to do the same.”
Richard Woodward, SpaMedica’s Chief Executive Officer says: “We’re thrilled to welcome Jamie – and he is already achieving great things at SpaMedica. He’s a brilliant communicator and leader, and we’re excited for him to help steer SpaMedica to ongoing success, as we continue to provide the highest quality care and personalised service to our patients.”
