Cynthia Bower is to be appointed as the chief executive of the Care Quality Commission.

Ms Bower, the chief executive of West Midlands strategic health authority, is expected to be confirmed as the chief executive imminently, HSJ can reveal.

She is considered ideal for the role because of her background in both health and social care. She was assistant director of social services at Birmingham city council, then became director of primary care before joining Birmingham's specialist community health trust and later becoming chief executive of South Birmingham primary care trust.

The Care Quality Commission will take over the regulatory role currently carried out by the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission. It will launch in shadow form in October and go live as the regulator next April.

Ms Bower was identified as a rising star in the latest HSJ50 list of the most influential people in healthcare, making her debut at number 22.

For more details on Ms Bower's appointment later today, see hsj.co.uk

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