CQC outgoing chief GP inspector appointed as chair at hospital trust

The CQC’s outgoing chief inspector of general practice has been appointed chair of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
 
Professor Steve Field is due to stand down from his CQC role in March and will take up his new position on 1 April 2019.
 
He replaces Jeremy Vanes, who will leave the trust at the end of March after serving as a chair and non-executive director for 13 years.
 
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust has been taking over GP practices in the area since 2017, and now runs nine practices – employing 43 GPs and covering 70,000 patients.
 
When the trust first began taking over practices and employing GPs as salaried staff members, local GP leaders said partners were motivated by financial ‘non-viability’ and workforce shortages.
 
Commenting on his new role at the trust, Professor Field said: ‘I am delighted to have been appointed as chair of the trust.
 
‘I was born in the Black Country and many of my family live locally. I am looking forward to supporting the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust to continue on their journey and I will work closely with partner organisations across the area to ensure the population of Wolverhampton and the Black Country receive the best possible integrated healthcare.’
 
Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust chief executive David Loughton said: ‘Steve has a wealth of experience in numerous high profile roles at a regional and national level. He will be a tremendous asset in the development of the Black Country strategic transformation programme (STP).’
 
Professor Field was the first chief inspector of general practice at the CQC when he entered the post in October 2013.
 
He is replaced by Somerset GP Dr Rosie Benneyworth, who becomes the CQC’s new chief inspector of primary medical services and integrated care.
 
This story was first published on our sister publication Pulse.