Care Quality Commission appoints Roger Taylor as National Professional Advisor

16 January 2014

The Care Quality Commission has appointed Roger Taylor as one of its National Professional Advisors to help develop CQC’s new approach to data and intelligence.

Intelligent use of data is one of the key aspects of the new way CQC is monitoring and inspecting health and social care providers, and in helping providers improve. The regulator has published its Intelligent Monitoring data for every NHS acute trust and is working on a similar tool for the other sectors it regulates.

Roger Taylor brings a wealth of expertise on the subject. As well as working with CQC’s staff, he will provide an important link between the panel of independent external experts and CQC.

CQC's Director of Intelligence Emma Rourke said: "I am very pleased that Roger has agreed to join CQC. He has a well-earned international reputation for his understanding and use of healthcare data. His insight will help CQC shape how we use data to improve our understanding of how well health and care organisations are performing and how we present that data in a meaningful way to the public."

Roger Taylor said: "I'm delighted to be taking on this role at such a crucial time for the CQC, which has set out its plans to make intelligent use of data a key part of assessing quality of care. I bring to the task the experience learnt from Dr Foster's work with NHS providers to get beyond data to an understanding of quality that can drive improvements in care."

Mr Taylor will work for CQC for two days a week in a personal capacity, continuing his work with Dr Foster for the other days.

Roger Taylor is Director of Research and Public Affairs at Dr Foster where he is responsible for public information, including the Dr Foster Hospital Guide. Roger was a co-founder of Dr Foster and has been a strong advocate for the role of greater transparency as a mechanism for consumer protection as well as a driver for quality improvement in public services. Roger began his career as a journalist working as a correspondent for the Financial Times in the UK and the US. Prior to that, he worked for the Consumers' Association, writing and researching for Which? magazine.  He is a board member of Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications in the UK and a trustee of CAADA, the domestic abuse charity. He is also a member of the Health Sector Transparency Panel and the Open Data User Group. His book on NHS reform, 'God Bless the NHS', was published by Faber and Faber in March 2013.

Ends

For media enquiries, call the CQC press office on 020 7448 9401 during office hours or out of hours on 07917 232 143.

For general enquiries, call 03000 61 61 61.

Notes to editors