Priory Group, the UK's largest private provider of mental health services, has appointed Jim Lee as chief financial officer, promoting a finance leader who has held senior roles at the business since 2011. Lee was initially appointed group tax director before serving as UK finance director since 2021, giving him more than a decade of direct exposure to the group's financial structure ahead of taking the top finance role.

Priory is part of Median Group, a pan-European provider of mental health, specialist care and rehabilitation services formed through Dutch private equity firm Waterland's 2021 acquisition of Priory. Priory Healthcare Ltd reported revenue of £819 million for the year to December 2024, up from £767.6 million, according to NHS for Sale, with an after-tax profit of £9.1 million compared with a loss the prior year.

Before joining Priory, Lee spent more than a decade at Deloitte, where he qualified as a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser, specialising in corporate tax and transaction support including work in the healthcare sector. That transaction background is understood to have informed his later work on Priory's finance function as the group absorbed a series of ownership and property restructurings.

"As we continue to navigate a challenging healthcare landscape and expand our Adult Care and Restore services, Jim's leadership will be invaluable in helping us deliver our strategic priorities while maintaining a strong focus on quality, outcomes and long-term sustainability," said Rebekah Cresswell, chief executive of Priory. She added that Lee would bring his deep understanding of the business to the role, alongside significant financial and operational expertise.

The structural driver behind the appointment is Priory's continued exposure to rising rental obligations following successive sale-and-leaseback transactions with its property landlords, placing a premium on internal finance leadership with long-standing knowledge of the group's cost base as it expands adjacent care services into adult and restorative care.

For the sector, the promotion confirms that private mental health providers are prioritising continuity and internal expertise in finance leadership amid sustained cost pressure across the sector.

Source: laingbuissonnews.com / nhsforsale.info