Appointment of the Chair
of the Care Quality Commission
1. On 7 September 2012 Dame Jo Williams tendered
her resignation as Chair of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
On 3 October 2012, the Secretary of State for Health wrote to
inform the Committee that a process to recruit a new Chair would
take place as soon as possible, and invited us to hold a pre-appointment
hearing once a preferred candidate had been selected. On 29 November
2012, the Secretary of State informed us that the Government proposed
to appoint David Prior as Chair of the Care Quality Commission
(CQC) and asked the Committee to hold a pre-appointment hearing
to consider this proposal. The Committee held the hearing on 5
December 2012.
2. The hearing addressed Mr Prior's background, previous
experience and views on the challenges facing the CQC and its
board. We examined Mr Prior's views on governance of the CQC Board,
its ability to accommodate additional regulatory functions and
the core purpose of the organisation. We also asked Mr Prior to
discuss how, if appointed, he would approach matters relating
to the method of inspection, communication with patients, residents
and relatives and changing the organisational culture within providers.
3. On the basis
of the discussions during the pre-appointment hearing, we
are satisfied that David Prior has the professional competence
and personal independence required of the Chair of the Care Quality
Commission. We are pleased to endorse his appointment.
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