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Care Quality Commission chief executive visit

The chief executive of the Care Quality Commission has visited West Suffolk Hospital the day before his retirement to congratulate staff on the Trust’s outstanding rating.

Sir David Behan, who has held the top role at the CQC for six years, said that the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust’s journey to outstanding “has been hard won and many years in the making”.

Sir David visited the west Suffolk site on Monday (9 July). As well as having a brief tour of the hospital from chief executive Dr Stephen Dunn, Sir David gave an engaging talk to Trust staff to share his reflections of good leadership after a 40-year-career as part of the Trust’s leadership forum, the ‘Five o’clock Club’.

He said: “It’s been a pleasure to visit the Trust today and to meet some of its fantastic people. What stands out at the West Suffolk is the culture – one that is of openness and learning, and where leaders support their people. The outstanding rating is a reflection of that.”

The CQC monitors, inspects and regulates health and social care services. It publishes its findings, including ratings, to help people choose care. The visit is a particularly prestigious one as Sir David is retiring from his role with the CQC this week.

Steve said: “It was truly a privilege to host David and we felt very honoured that he chose to visit us and meet our outstanding staff during the final week of his role.”

“Though outstanding doesn’t mean perfect, we are exceptionally proud of our rating and the fact that our staff say we are one of the best places to work in the NHS.

“It was fantastic for our staff to hear first-hand from David about his experiences and his time as a leader, not just at the CQC but across his whole career. We’re so grateful to him for taking the time to share some of his learning with our teams.”

Sir David was born and brought up in Blackburn in Lancashire and graduated from Bradford University in 1978. Following a full career in the health and care sector, he was awarded a knighthood for his services in the 2017 New Year's Honours list.

The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust was ranked as one of the best acute hospitals in the country by regulators in its latest inspection. In January it was awarded the highest possible rating of ‘outstanding’ by the CQC - one of just seven general hospitals in England, and the only one in the Midlands and East region, to hold the accolade.

 

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From left to right: Nick Jenkins, medical director at WSFT, Sir David Behan, Sheila Childerhouse, WSFT chair, and Stephen Dunn, chief executive of WSFT.

From left to right: Nick Jenkins, medical director at WSFT, Sir David Behan, Sheila Childerhouse, WSFT chair, and Stephen Dunn, chief executive of WSFT.