Anna Bradley has been appointed as the first chair of Healthwatch England. Healthwatch England will formally launch on 1 October 2012, with local Healthwatch bodies following on 1 April 2013. As Healthwatch England is a statutory committee of the CQC, Ms Bradley has also been appointed to the CQC board. Anna Bradley is currently the Chair of the General Optical Council, which regulates optometrists and dispensing opticians. She will be stepping down from this role to concentrate on her Healthwatch / CQC role.
On the announcement of her appointment as Chair of Healthwatch England Ms Bradley stated: I am clear that those who run commission and regulate services need to learn from the people who use those services. Healthwatch's expectations of commissioners will doubtless become clearer as we move towards 1 April 2013 - we will report on significant developments when they arise.