CQC welcomes new Board members

Published: 4 June 2014 Page last updated: 3 November 2022

4 June 2014

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has announced the appointments of Robert Francis QC and Paul Rew as Non-Executive Directors.

Robert Francis QC’s two reports into the catastrophic failure of care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, published in 2010 and 2013, are changing the culture of the NHS and will leave a lasting legacy on the quality of patient care. Robert is a barrister who continues to practice in the field of medical law, in which he has specialised for many years. He has been a Queen’s Counsel for over twenty years. Robert is also honorary President of the Patients Association and a trustee of the Point of Care Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Research Centre. He is also a patron of the Florence Nightingale Foundation.

Speaking of his appointment, Robert Francis QC said: “The CQC has a vital contribution to make towards people getting safe, compassionate and effective care. I am pleased to see that many of the recommendations I made in my reports on Mid Staffordshire for cultural change in the healthcare system and the CQC itself are being adopted.

“I hope to make a positive contribution to the work of CQC, supporting its current direction of travel and representing its work and its continuing development as a role model of transparency and openness.”

David Prior, Chairman of the Care Quality Commission said: “The appointment of Robert Francis makes a very clear statement – the interests of patients, all those who receive care and their relatives will be at the heart of everything that CQC does.”

Paul Rew is an experienced non-executive director in both the private and public sectors; he is currently non-executive director and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, The Met Office, Northumbrian Water and he is a member of the advisory board of Exeter University Business School. Paul is a former Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, during which he led areas of the business, developed new services and advised on strategy, change, planning, and risk management. As part of his non-executive role, Paul will chair CQC’s Audit and Corporate Governance Committee.

Speaking of his appointment, Paul Rew said: “I am pleased to join the Care Quality Commission as it transforms its regulatory activities across health and adult social care services.

“From my own professional experiences, I have seen how quality issues can be addressed through regulation and I will bring this insight to the role.

“As non-executive director, I hope to bring constructive and persistent challenge, support and ideas to the Board, during and beyond this significant period of transformation.”

David Prior said: “Paul’s vast experience in accounts, risk management and finance will be invaluable to us. We need to demonstrate that we are delivering value for money and his role as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee will be critical to this.”

The appointments of Robert Francis QC and Paul Rew have been made by the Secretary of State for Health. Their terms of office are three years.

Robert and Paul replace Steve Hitchins and John Harwood, who stood down from CQC’s Board in December 2013 and March 2014 respectively.

Ends

For media enquiries about the Care Quality Commission, please call the CQC press office on 020 7448 9401 during office hours or out-of-hours on 07917 232 143. For general enquiries, please call 03000 61 61 61.

“I hope to make a positive contribution to the work of CQC, supporting its current direction of travel and representing its work and its continuing development as a role model of transparency and openness.”

Robert Francis QC

About the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.

We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.