Nurses appointed as CQC national advisers for mental health regulation

The Care Quality Commission has appointed two nurses to provide advice and leadership on inspecting and regulating mental health services in England.

Jonathan Warren, executive director of nursing at East London NHS Foundation Trust, and Vanessa Ford, director of nursing standards and governance at West London Mental Health NHS Trust, have been appointed national advisers for mental health nursing.

They will make up a team of nine national professional advisers for mental health and will work with CQC deputy chief inspector of hospitals (mental health) Paul Lelliott to inspect every NHS mental health hospital by April 2016.

Professor Warren has held a number of senior operational and professional roles in a variety of settings and is a visiting professor at City University.

Ms Ford specialises in the treatment of eating disorders and personality disorders and has experience in establishing services in the private sector as well as the NHS.

They will work together to establish guidance and advice in areas of practice, such as care planning, governance and leadership.

Dr Lelliott said: ‘The national professional advisers will help lead our inspection teams and advise on the services we regulate.

'They will also give policy advice so that we make accurate judgements about whether services are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led, based on sound evidence and taking full account of people who use services.

‘It is vital we tap into the best, current expert thinking so we can do everything possible to encourage services to give highly vulnerable people the care and support we expect and they deserve.’