🎙 Dr Patrick Doyle on Surviving Everest, Bootstrapping L2P Into a Leading NHS Platform, and Life After Acquisition
💬 In conversation with Dr Patrick Doyle, Consultant Anaesthetist; Founder, L2P (a Patchwork Health company)
Dear Readers,
This week on Out of Programme, we’re joined by Dr Patrick Doyle — a South African-trained consultant anaesthetist who survived cerebral oedema on Everest, bootstrapped L2P, the leading NHS appraisal and job planning platform, with no external funding, and sold it to Patchwork Health after 15 years of growth.
🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
You can also listen on: 🎧 Spotify
🌍 Highlights from the Conversation
🏔️ Surviving Everest - Climbing as part of the Xtreme Everest medical expedition, Patrick got cerebral oedema at Camp 3, was unconscious overnight, and walked down the next day by himself. The altitude research that followed was phenomenal.
💼 The Pain Point That Became L2P - Endlessly emailing regulatory paperwork to different organisations drove Patrick to build L2P, digitising it all into one place. He was “probably 10 years ahead of the curve,” and for years nobody was buying.
🚀 Bootstrapping the Whole Way - L2P never took VC. Patrick funded it through bank loans, a COVID bounce-back loan, and even a mortgage extension. “When it’s your own money, you dot the i’s and cross the t’s on every penny.”
🤝 A Flat, Collegiate Founding Team - Co-founders Jim and Colin (who’d digitised the Jack the Ripper tour) and tech lead Simon kept the structure flat and democratic — low egos, plenty of arguments, and a shared commitment to personal development.
💰 The Hectic Reality of Due Diligence - Patrick did much of the exit due diligence from a poolside in Spain on 3G. His advice: “Get your due diligence done now — because it’s hectic.”
🔁 Life After the Acquisition - Patrick has handed over the admin to Patchwork, kept his day of private anaesthesia, and returned to research — writing up his Everest paper with AI in half an hour.
💬 Why This Episode Matters
Patrick’s episode is proof that:
🏔️ A clinical career and an entrepreneurial one can coexist — you don’t have to choose, and you can keep one foot in each
💰 Bootstrapping is lonely and hard, but it buys you autonomy — and knowing you own every part of what you built
🤝 The people you found with matter as much as the idea — flat, low-ego structures can out-perform big personalities
🔁 An exit isn’t the end — done well, it’s a platform for whatever you want to do next
As Patrick says:
“Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. You’ve got to know when the time is right to hand your baby over — and make sure it’s going to be in good hands.”
🧠 Interested in building in digital health?
Applications are open for the BiteLabs Digital Health, AI & Innovation Fellowship — cohorts in both the UK and the US.
BiteLabs is where clinicians build, launch and lead in digital health. 800+ fellows · 200+ advisors · £15M+ raised · Rated 4.9 on Google.
Apply via Out of Programme and you’ll receive: ✅ Extra points on your application 🎯 A 1:1 career coaching session with the BiteLabs team 🤝 A personal session with a BiteLabs founder
🔗 Apply at bitelabs.io 💬 Use referral code: OUTOFPROGRAMME in your application form
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If you know someone contemplating their next move — share this episode with them!
Until next time,
Dr Jing Ouyang
👉 Follow me on LinkedIn for a behind-the-scenes look and reflections on Out of Programme.