In this episode of Scale Her Up, I’m joined by Alena Duncan, founder and Chief Executive and Operating Officer of NexEndo Healthcare.

Alena shares the story behind building a clinical services company that supports both NHS and private patients, helping to reduce waiting times in endoscopy and other specialist services while keeping patient safety and clinical governance at the heart of everything.

We talk about her journey from nursing into law, consultancy and then founding NexEndo Healthcare, as well as the realities of growing a business in a highly regulated and male-dominated industry.

This is a fascinating conversation about leadership, persistence, communication, problem-solving and what it really takes to build a purpose-led healthcare business.

In this episode, we cover:

• What NexEndo Healthcare does and how it supports NHS and private patients
• Why reducing waiting times in healthcare matters so much
• The challenge of marketing sensitive health services
• Alena’s journey from nursing to law to business ownership
• What she has learned about herself as a founder and leader
• Why communication has been a thread through her whole career
• The importance of trusted people around you in business
• Growing from a small team to a much larger operation
• The realities of regulation, policy and compliance in healthcare
• The barriers to entry for smaller providers in Scotland
• Why persistence and strong opinions can be an asset in business

Memorable moments from this episode:

• Why patients need services that feel accessible and easy to talk about
• Alena’s reflections on finding her voice in a male-dominated world
• Her honesty about having to be firm in order to be heard
• The challenge of selling services people only seek when they have a problem
• “Don’t be scared of being opinionated as a woman.”
• “If you don’t try, you never know whether you’re going to succeed.”