Lexington Communications unveils new trio of experts to act as senior advisors to its expanding healthcare practice.

Independent public affairs agency Lexington Communications has hired a new panel of strategic advisors to act as senior counsel to its growing healthcare team. Lexington Health is bringing on board three leading figures from the health policy and advocacy world to bolster the offering of the health specialist team, which operates out of offices in London and Manchester.

The new senior advisory board will consist of professor Mike Bewick, former deputy medical director of NHS England, Mike Burrows, National Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) coordination director and former NHS England area director for Greater Manchester, and Katherine Murphy, former CEO of the Patients’ Association.

The advisory board has been hired by the new director and head of health, Emily Cook, who has taken on leadership of the specialist healthcare practice following the departure of its previous head, Joanne Bullen.

Cook says, “I am delighted to announce the members of our new senior advisory board, who will use their knowledge and experience of the ever-changing health landscape to provide invaluable strategic advice and insider analysis to our existing and potential clients.

“Lexington Health has gone from strength to strength over the past 18 months and we have expanded our practice at both a global and UK level with important new clients. Our new senior advisors will join a team that has the reputation of being one of the best in the market, and which partners with some of the most forward-thinking and exciting healthcare companies. With their added expertise and insight, we look forward to expanding our offering and continuing to provide our clients with the very best advice and insight in healthcare consultancy.”

Also joining the Lexington Health practice are Ed McRandal, who joins as an associate director, and Will Culliford, who joins as a senior consultant. McRandal is an experienced public affairs consultant and former Conservative Parliamentary candidate, who spent more than five years at Four Public Affairs (formally ICG) and previously worked for Andrew Lansley, the former secretary of state for health.

Culliford has more than seven years of experience in corporate communications and public affairs and joins from the Royal College of Surgeons, where he was policy and public affairs manager. During his time at a previous consultancy, Culliford also helped to establish the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Patient Safety and worked in a political party's press office during the 2015 general election. Bewick is a former senior director in NHS England, and was latterly the organisation’s national deputy medical director.

Burrows has held a variety of roles both within Manchester and NHS England, was a member of the Life Sciences Strategy Board and sits on the NICE Medtech Advisory Committee. Murphy is the former CEO of the UK’s leading patient group, the Patients’ Association, who is highly respected for her campaign and advocacy skills on behalf of patients.