Dr Paula Franklin, currently Chief Medical and Risk Officer for Bupa Global & UK, will take up leadership of the global medical function from 1 August alongside her responsibilities for the Bupa Global & UK market unit. Paula will report into David Fletcher, Group Chief Risk Officer, and join the Bupa Executive Team.
Dr Paul Zollinger-Read CBE, who has been Bupa’s Chief Medical Officer since 2012, will step down on 31 July.
Group CEO Evelyn Bourke said: “Paula is an excellent addition to the Bupa Executive Team. She has a strong track record of clinical governance and risk leadership in Bupa Global and the UK and I am delighted that she has agreed to lead our global medical function.”
“I would like to thank Paul for all he has achieved at Bupa. He has had a long and distinguished medical career and we have very much valued his contribution, especially the way he has championed the voice of clinicians within Bupa.”
Notes to editor
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About Paula
Paula joined Bupa in 1996 and held a number of senior medical roles in both funding and provision businesses before leaving in 2009 to join Marie Stopes International where she was Global Medical Director. She returned to Bupa in April 2013 to take up the post of Medical Director of Bupa UK, becoming Chief Medical and Risk Officer for our Bupa UK Market Unit in 2017.
Paula studied medicine in London at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College and worked as a GP before leaving clinical practice to study public health in the USA. Following this, she worked for the Children’s Defense Fund charity in Washington DC on US health policy and legislation. In addition to her medical degree, Paula has a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, an MBA from London Business School, a MA in Bioethics and Medical Law and a diploma in counselling.
About Paul
Paul joined Bupa as Chief Medical Officer in July 2012. He has led a distinguished medical career within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), both as a GP and as CEO of a number of Primary Care Trusts. He has previously been the Medical and Primary Care Advisor at the King’s Fund. Paul was awarded a CBE in 2012 for services to the NHS.
About Bupa
Bupa's purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world.
We are an international healthcare company serving over 31 million customers worldwide. With no shareholders, we reinvest profits into providing more and better healthcare for the benefit of current and future customers.
We directly employ around 85,000 people, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, Chile, Poland, New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, the US, Middle East and Ireland. We also have associate businesses in Saudi Arabia and India.
