Q&A with our Head of Clinical Operations, Keira Wallis

What I really enjoy about working at Healix Health is the people and the shared sense of purpose. It’s a genuinely collaborative, clinically led environment where everyone cares about doing the right thing for our clients and members, while still being mindful of sustainability and long-term impact.

There’s a strong team spirit across operations and nursing, and I value how openly we work together to solve complex problems. It’s fast-paced and varied, but supportive. That balance makes it both rewarding and enjoyable

I actually started my career as a nurse practitioner in the NHS, primarily working as part of a multidisciplinary team delivering cancer care. That gave me a real insight into how complex patient journeys are and how important coordination and decision-making are behind the scenes.

Over time, I became more interested in how health systems work as a whole; how pathways are designed, how services are managed, and how you balance great clinical care with the realities of resource and cost. That naturally led me into operational leadership roles, where I could influence things at a broader level. My current role feels like a natural progression because it brings together my clinical background with the opportunity to shape processes, support teams, and improve how care is delivered at scale.

As a clinically led business, my role is really varied. A big part of my day-to-day focus is supporting and leading our nursing team, ensuring are members are getting the best service.

Beyond that, I also support other business units with clinical input. That might be contributing to pathway development, shaping new benefits, or supporting on our wider proposition to make sure what we’re offering is clinically robust as well as commercially sustainable.

It’s a nice balance, staying close to frontline clinical decision-making while also influencing how we design and evolve services more broadly.

A key part of my role is ensuring we have robust clinical governance in place. That involves developing clear, evidence-based guidance for our nurses and member advisors, facilitating regular case reviews, and maintaining strong quality assurance processes to ensure consistency and safety.

I also look at trends and outcomes; not just individual cases, but patterns. If we’re seeing variation or repeated challenges in a particular area, we’ll review the pathway or guidance to make sure it’s as clear and robust as it needs to be.

Because we’re a clinically led service, safety and quality sit at the centre of what we do. My role is about creating the structure and support around the nursing team so that every decision is well considered, consistent, and focused on delivering the best possible outcome for our members and clients.

What I find most rewarding is knowing that we can make a difficult time feel more manageable for someone. When employees are navigating a health concern, they’re often anxious or unsure of what happens next. Being able to provide clarity and reassurance makes a real difference.

I also find it rewarding when we see someone move from uncertainty to confidence; whether that’s understanding their diagnosis, accessing the right treatment, or feeling supported in making decisions. Even though we’re not delivering the care directly, we play an important role in shaping the experience around it.

Ultimately, it’s about impact. Supporting someone through a complex or stressful period and knowing we’ve helped them feel informed, supported, and treated fairly is what makes the work meaningful.