Lloyds Clinical appoints first chief patient officer

Lloyds Clinical has appointed Jo Upton to the newly created role of chief patient officer, expanding its executive team as it looks to strengthen its focus on clinical outcomes, safety and patient experience.

Upton (pictured), who becomes the company’s first female chief, has more than 20 years’ experience in senior clinical and operational roles across the NHS and independent sector. Her previous posts include director of nursing and clinical services at Healthcare at Home and head of nursing and quality at The Royal Marsden.

She has already been involved in shaping Lloyds Clinical’s approach to service design, safeguarding strategy and patient experience. In her new role, she will oversee clinical innovation and lead the development of new out-of-hospital services in partnership with NHS and pharmaceutical organisations.

‘I’ve dedicated my career to making healthcare safer, smarter and more responsive to what patients need – wherever they are,’ said Upton. ‘This role is about setting the standard for what great out-of-hospital care looks like and holding ourselves to it, every time. I’m particularly excited to be working even more closely with our NHS partners to co-develop services that support national priorities – from reducing waiting times to delivering more joined-up care. At Lloyds Clinical, we have the people, the scale and the mindset to change the patient journey for good, and I’m proud to help lead that transformation.’

Upton’s appointment comes at a time of continued growth and investment at Lloyds Clinical, which rebranded in 2024 following its separation from LloydsPharmacy. The organisation supports more than 90,000 patients each year across oncology, nutrition, autoimmune, rare and specialist conditions, and operates dedicated clinics, two aseptic compounding facilities and a network of over 300 specialist nurses.