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Newsletter
Our monthly update for everyone interested in health and social care
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Emily Miles appointed Chief Executive
Emily Miles has been appointed as our new Chief Executive.
Emily joins CQC from her current role as Director General for Food, Farming, and Biosecurity at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and will take up the role in the autumn from interim Chief Executive Dr Arun Chopra. Arun will be returning to his substantive role of Chief Inspector of Mental Health.
Emily brings significant experience of regulation, including as CEO of the Food Standards Agency.
Emily said:
“I’m delighted to have been appointed Chief Executive of CQC and look forward to starting the role later this year. My career has been built on public service and rooted in a deep commitment to putting people's needs first. I’m immensely proud that I will have such a crucial role in delivering CQC’s vision that everyone gets safe, effective, compassionate care.
“I will do all I can to make sure that the independent regulator of health and social care protects people and supports services to improve – as well as encouraging services to work better together so people stay well and get high-quality care when they need it.”
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Preferred candidate for Chair announced
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE as its preferred candidate for Chair of CQC.
Baroness Neuberger is an experienced healthcare leader and cross‑bench peer with a track record of contributing to national healthcare policy, regulation and organisational leadership. She currently serves as chair of Whittington Health NHS Trust and as joint chair of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Her terms of office in these roles are due to end in September 2026.
Earlier in her career, Baroness Neuberger was chief executive of the King’s Fund and before that she chaired the Camden and Islington Community NHS Trust. She has held leading roles in major national healthcare reviews, including of the Liverpool Care Pathway and the Mental Health Act.
Subject to approval by the Health and Social Care Select Committee, Baroness Neuberger will take over from the current Interim Chair, Kay Boycott, once appointed. The Committee hearing is currently expected to take place in September. Kay will continue as Interim chair until the new chair is appointed.
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Join us! Work for CQC
CQC staff have a wide range of skills and work across many disciplines.
Benefits include generous leave entitlement, NHS or Nest pension schemes and a wide range of employee discounts.
Most roles offer flexible locations with the choice to be home-based. See the individual job listings for more information.
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Learning from Independent Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews
We have published a new report sharing our findings from the Independent Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews (IC(E)TRs) that we carried out between May 2024 and November 2025.
IC(E)TRs are independently chaired reviews of the care, treatment and education (where appropriate) for autistic people and people with a learning disability who are in long-term segregation in mental health hospitals. IC(E)TRs can make a real difference to people’s lives, for example, helping them leave long-term segregation and live in the community.
Since May 2024, we have completed 88 IC(E)TRs. As at 30 March 2026, 40% (35 of 88) of those people left long-term segregation and have been either discharged into their own homes in the community, moved to a more appropriate hospital or are actively engaged in future discharge plans.
Rebecca Bauers, Director for people with a learning disability and autistic people and Adult social care South Region Operations (London and South), said:
"Long-term segregation has a significant, often traumatic impact on a person’s health, wellbeing and quality of life, and is often used alongside other forms of restrictive practice. These reviews challenge whether segregation is necessary. In nearly half of the reviews we conducted, people were supported to leave long-term segregation and get more appropriate care.
"Upholding people’s human rights and building trusted, person-led relationships must be at the heart of care. These principles are fundamental to enabling people with a learning disability and autistic people to lead safe, meaningful, and fulfilled lives."
The programme was set to end in 2026, but, as a result of the progress to date and the impact for people with a learning disability supported to leave long-term segregation, the Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed additional funding for us to continue the programme until March 2028.
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CQC publishes report from first national assessment programme of local authorities
Our report Local authority assessments 2023 to 2026: Emerging themes and findings, brings together insights from our first national programme of local authority assessments.
Drawing on findings from local authorities assessed since December 2023, it provides the most comprehensive national picture to date of how local authorities are meeting the needs of people who use adult social care services.
The report, based on 143 of local authority assessments already published, finds that local authorities are broadly performing well in the face of significant challenges, with 60% rated as good, 35% rated as requires improvement, 3% rated as outstanding and 2% rated as inadequate.
However, we caution that many local authorities rated as good sit at the lower end of that threshold, suggesting there is room for improvement and for those rated as requires improvement some are nearer to being rated as good, while others are closer to inadequate.
Setting out how we will regulate during local government reorganisation
We have also published an update setting out how our inspections and assessments of local services will continue during major local government, social care and NHS reforms.
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A leaving message from Chris Dzikiti
In his final blog at CQC, Interim Chief Inspector of Mental Health, Chris Dzikiti, reflects on his time at the regulator.
Chris points to findings from our most recent Community Mental Health Survey from 2025 which showed that more people said they ‘always’ felt listened to than in the previous year, and that they were 'always' treated with care and compassion.
But Chris also flags that the demand for mental health care has continued to rise, with people waiting longer for assessments and becoming more unwell when being admitted to hospital.
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Our update on the safer management of controlled drugs
Earlier this month we published our annual update on the safer management and use of controlled drugs.
The report shares important insight on the use of controlled drugs in health care and adult social care services.
The annual update draws on prescribing data, feedback from controlled drug local intelligence networks, and our wider inspection and regulatory work. The report will help people working with controlled drugs to strengthen the arrangements for their safe management and use
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