Professor Ursula Gallagher has been appointed as the deputy chief inspector for primary care at the CQC.
Ms Gallagher is currently the director of quality and patient safety for Brent, Harrow and Hillingdon CCGs. Prior to that role, she was director of quality and clinical governance, and borough director for Ealing Primary Care Trust.
Professor Steve Field, the chief inspector for primary care at the CQC, said: 'I am delighted that Ursula will be joining CQC, particularly during such a fascinating time in the regulation of primary care. Ursula will play a critical role in supporting the roll out of our new approach to inspecting primary care in our capital city, highlighting the standards of practice that her team finds.'
Ms Gallagher is also a visiting professor in primary care leadership at Buckinghamshire New University and a trustee of the charity Education for Health. She also co-led the support unit for the Prime Minister's Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery, and was a member of the clinical advisory panel for the King's Fund inquiry into the quality of general practice in England.
Ms Gallagher said: 'I'm delighted to be joining during this exciting time. I'm looking forward to working with the team and building relationships with patients and other organisations that play a role in the delivery of primary care.'
Professor Field added: 'Poor quality in primary care can have serious consequences for the health and wellbeing of a large number of people and this is one of the reasons these roles and the work of the Primary Medical Services Directorate are vitally important. Through regulation, we drive improvement, giving more patients good experiences of primary care.'