Professor Ted Baker has been appointed as the new chief inspector of hospitals at the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
He will take over the role from Professor Sir Mike Richards who is to retire at the end of July.
Professor Baker has been in his current role as deputy chief inspector of hospitals since January 2014, when he joined CQC to support the development and implementation of a new approach to hospital inspection which assessed services on whether they are safe, caring, effective, responsive and well-led.
Sir David Behan, CQC’s chief executive, said: “I am delighted that Ted will be taking on the role of chief inspector of hospitals. He brings an invaluable track record of professional and clinical leadership and a wealth of experience from his time as deputy chief inspector. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.
“I am incredibly grateful to Mike for his work and dedication in developing and leading an inspection programme that has provided a more complete picture than ever before of the quality of hospitals care. We are now able to use that knowledge to evolve our approach and help drive further improvement, while adapting to changes in the way services are being provided. I have every confidence in Ted’s ability to take this work forward.”
Professor Ted Baker said: “Every day of my career in the NHS I have seen dedicated, committed staff providing excellent care for patients and service users. Our recent inspections have shown that even in undoubtedly challenging times, staff are making impressive improvements in the quality and safety of the care they deliver.
“As chief inspector of hospitals I want to work with providers and other partners to build an environment where they can continue to drive improvements and make our healthcare system as good as it can possibly be. I do not underestimate the problems the system faces, but I have great confidence that the staff have all the qualities we need to overcome them."
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, said: “The chief inspector of hospitals plays a crucial role in improving standards of care across the NHS. I’m delighted that Professor Baker will be bringing his many years of excellent NHS experience to this important role and I look forward to working closely together in the years to come to achieve our aim of making the NHS the safest healthcare system in the world.”
