Last Friday  we welcomed Professor Ted Baker, the CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals.

Ted became Chief Inspector of Hospitals in August 2017. He joined CQC in 2014 as Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals after working in clinical practice for 35 years. 

Ted gave a presentation to around 100 trust colleagues and answered questions on inspection, safety, challenges in emergency departments and quality improvement.

He stressed that the success of the NHS and the way it manages in times of challenge – particularly winter – is down to the hard work and commitment of frontline colleagues.

And that it is important to create the environment in which staff can succeed – not tell them what to do or how they should do it. He said: “All of us are part of the solution to problems in the NHS – we should rise to the challenges we face. The biggest difference is made by looking for external views on the quality of our services and respond to it. It’s a real opportunity to drive improvement in the Trust.”