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Management team

 

Karen-Prins_COO_Circle-Health-Group
Karen began her illustrious career as a practising clinician before transitioning to hospital management. She joined BMI Healthcare in 2017 as Chief Executive Officer, having held senior management roles within Netcare in South Africa. Karen has experience in running multisite hospital operations and large-scale capital investment projects, including the commissioning and operating the largest Public-Private Partnership in Africa through partnerships with the Ministries of Health and Finance, the World Bank, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Following Circle Health’s acquisition of BMI Healthcare in 2020, Karen was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Circle Health Group, responsible for directing Circle's business strategy and organisational operations. Karen assumed the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer in March 2025.

Profile photo of Jawad Khan
Jawad brings a wealth of board-level experience across a range of disciplines including corporate finance, strategy formulation and capital optimisation.

With experience spanning senior leadership roles across multiple perspectives (including as a Partner in PwC, a finance executive and board member in industry, and a co-founder of a multi-national professional services boutique), Jawad offers a unique perspective on achieving excellence while remaining pragmatically grounded.

Having advised companies across the corporate lifecycle, Jawad is well versed with transformation and change, which is critical in the ever-changing landscape.

Profile photo of Paul Manning
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon and leading shoulder specialist, Paul joined Circle in 2005 and was appointed Medical Director, Responsible Officer, and Director of Circle Hospitals in 2016. Upon the formation of Circle Health Group in 2020, Paul was appointed Chief Medical Officer and has built a team of industry-wide respected specialists recognised for driving quality and safety of care.

Paul, who has held roles in the British Elbow and Shoulder Society and the British Orthopaedic Association, was appointed as a member of the Government’s Elective Recovery Taskforce in 2023. He has been instrumental in Circle Health Group’s successful adoption of the GIRFT Programme which has contributed to improved patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Paul now leads both the clinical and commercial teams, blending product and service development, together with the deployment of digital innovation and state-of-the-art technology to ensure outstanding patient care.

David-Cooper-Cheif-People-Officer
David joined Circle Health Group as Chief People Officer in January 2020, immediately navigating the unique challenges the COVID pandemic posed to the healthcare sector.

David has held senior HR roles including Director of Organisational Capability and Change at the Royal College of Nursing where his responsibility encompassed estates, communications and IT services. He is committed to innovative human resources and organisational development practices. By embedding a culture in which the Circle Philosophy comes to life, he ensures the organisation recruits the most talented, committed staff who embody our principles and values and put patients at the forefront of everything they do.

A former Personnel Today HR Director of the Year, David has built an award-winning team which was recognised by the CIPD as HR Team of the Year in 2022. In 2023 Circle Health Group was recognised as an outstanding big company to work for by Best Companies. In 2025, the Company’s international-award winning Learning and Development Team launched the UK’s first accredited degree course in hospital senior management.

Douglas 'Dougie' Dryburgh Chief Transformation Officer Circle Health Group
Dougie spent the first period of his career serving in the Royal Air Force within Learning and Development, operations, and infrastructure. On leaving the RAF in 2006, Dougie moved into healthcare where he has worked in senior operations positions since. Most recently, he was Chief Operations Officer at Genomics plc, a Venture Capital-backed Oxford University genetics start-up. Prior to that, Dougie was an Operations Director and Board member at NHS Blood and Transplant and Chief Executive Officer of Viapath LLP, a national pathology provider operated by Serco plc.

Transformation and performance has been theme throughout Dougie’s career, and he brings a wealth of change and executive experience to the business.

Profile photo of Mark Withers
Mark is Chief Information Officer for Circle Health Group, having joined the company in 2022. He has 25 years’ of senior leadership experience across both business and technology functions. He has worked in a variety of organisations from UK based companies to global enterprises in multiple sectors including telecoms, SaaS, marketing services, utilities and motoring services.

Mark has a significant track record of success, and the alignment of complex transformational projects with customer needs is a common thread running throughout his career. He is passionate about delivering brilliant solutions and delivering exceptional services to our patients, colleagues and stakeholders.

Mr-Peter-James-Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Peter James is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon with an international reputation for complex knee surgery, specialising in high performance knee replacements for active patients and difficult revision knee surgery. He lectures internationally on all areas of primary and revision knee surgery. He has been invited to perform live surgery both in the UK and abroad, and is visited regularly in Nottingham by other surgeons wishing to learn his techniques.

Peter has worked as a surgeon at Circle Health Group (and BMI Healthcare) hospitals for many years, and was appointed group medical director and responsible officer in 2021. He continues to practice at The Park Hospital in Nottingham as well as holding an NHS practice with Nottingham University Hospitals.

Adam-Busby-GCD
Group Clinical Director since 2022, Adam Busby has overall responsibility for clinical governance, performance and practice, regulatory compliance, and patient safety across the Group. Adam also has professional responsibility for Circle Health Group’s Nursing and Allied Health Professionals.

Under Adam’s guidance, Circle Health Group has embedded award-winning safety and quality improvement programmes, secured multiple clinical accreditations across the Group including Gold accreditation from the Infection Prevention Society and been a finalist in both the LaingBuisson Nursing Team of the Year and Health Service Journal’s Patient Safety Team of the Year Awards.

An Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) by profession, Adam has held senior clinical and non-clinical leadership positions across the NHS and the independent sector.

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