CQC appoints new chief inspector

Rosie Benneyworth, a GP and vice chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, will take over from current chief Steve Field in March, according to an announcement made today. She will lead on CQC inspections for all primary medical services, including general practice, pharmacy and dentistry and integrated care.

As well as her role for NICE, Dr Benneyworth is also director of strategic clinical services transformation for Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group.

Professor Field was the first chief inspector appointed for primary care and has been in post since 2013. In September last year, HSJ reported he had originally intended to step down in October but was asked to stay on until March 2019.

Ian Trenholm, chief executive for the CQC, said: “We’re delighted that Dr Rosie Benneyworth will be joining us. Rosie brings invaluable experience of health and care from a range of perspectives in her roles as a GP, her work at NICE and most recently leading Strategic Clinical Services Transformation at Somerset CCG.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Steve for his enormous contribution to CQC over the last five years, establishing our approach to inspection of primary medical services and integrated care. I look forward to building on this important legacy with Rosie.”

Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “The key role of the CQC is to ensure that the care we deliver to patients in general practice is of a good and safe standard and Rosie’s significant experience, both as a frontline GP and in a wide range of leadership roles, as well as her commitment to promoting patient safety, make her an excellent fit for this role.

“We will work with her to ensure that CQC inspections are proportionate, safe, and focussed on what matters most to patients and the GPs who are working hard to deliver their care.”