A desk job isn't normally a matter of life and death but, at the Healix Group of Companies, sometimes it genuinely is. The main division, Healix International, has seven doctors and 30 aeromedical nurses who deal with health emergencies around the world. If your appendix bursts on a holiday to Bulgaria you might think you are discussing what to do with your travel insurance provider, but companies including Direct Line, AIG and Virgin contract out to Healix, which carries out the work under the client's banner. Medics in offices in Hampton, Middlesex, decide where appropriate care is available — in many parts of Africa and even some of Europe it is not, says operations manager Carolyn Walker. They also organise a return home. Medical jobs give staff a chance for travel and to deliver the same care that most of them did for the National Health Service. But at Healix people feel they have a workplace flexible enough for them to have their own lives and an employer that is caring, challenging and an important part of their lives (an 85% positive score). Finn Morgan, the chief medical officer, has a partnership agreement with Healix, like the other doctors, so is effectively freelance. "I didn't leave the NHS because of disillusionment, but started working part-time for Healix and much prefer it. You can get things done and it isn't a disaster if you take time off, as it can be for a surgeon with a full waiting room. My son is autistic, but I can work from home. It has made an enormous difference to my quality of life." Staff say there is a strong sense of family in teams (80%) and Katie Moss explains this is almost a part of the job. The 35-year-old, who has been with the company for seven years and is manager of Healix Health Services, says: "You can always ask for help." The 62 staff are confident in the abilities of their teams (86%) and feel that managers trust their judgment (85%). Healix is female-dominated, with 46 women. Maternity leave is statutory but career breaks of three years' unpaid leave are offered. Dr Paul Beven founded Healix with director Dr Peter Mason 14 years ago. Revenues and the firm have grown steadily, with spin-offs such as clever software that Beven created to give potential travellers a "risk" rating, used for online quotes. People make a valuable contribution to the firm's success (76%), grow in the job and are excited about where the company is going (both 83%). Last year, they might have helped some 30,000 people, but at Healix hardly anyone took a day off sick.
