Introducing David Haslam

David Haslam has explained his role within the CQC. He is one of their National Professional Advisors. With a background as a GP, and a former RCGP Chairman, David has been representing the interests of clinicians since working for the Healthcare Commission, and now with CQC.

"My background is as a GP in Cambridgeshire but over the last 10 years or so I have become more and more interested in national health policy and politics. After completing my term as RCGP Chairman in 2004, I was recruited to a senior advisory role in the Healthcare Commission – where I recall my responsibility was described as 'represent clinicians in the Commission and the Commission to clinicians'– so no challenge there then!

When CQC was formed in 2009, my role transferred over – and I still try to give myself the same overall task. Although I am a GP, and much of my focus has recently been on the upcoming regulation of primary care by CQC, I have always tried to take on board the importance of all clinicians.

I have a number of roles that are linked with healthcare quality, including being an ‘expert member’ of the National Quality Board, chairing their Quality Information Committee, co-chairing the NHS Future Forum work on Information, and chairing the NICE Evidence.

Inevitably I find that contacts and discussions in all these roles are of real benefit to my work at CQC. I also represent CQC in a number of organisations, including the Royal College of Physicians ‘Future Hospital Commission’, and on the Professional Standards Board at the Department of Health.

Perhaps the main focus of my work in the last year or so has related to the registration and regulation of general practice. My life both as a GP, and a leader in general practice, has taught me what an exceptionally busy and complex task general medical practice is: how most well-intentioned policies tend to have unintended negative consequences, and how many GPs are really struggling with issues around workload, workforce, constant change, commissioning, complaints, and revalidation – not to mention the day-to-day business of trying to heal the sick and save lives.

And so it was vital that we worked with representatives of all the major primary care organisations from the start, to ensure that regulation focused on the things that really matter, and we try and avoid duplication and wasting time.

I have been delighted with the help, response, support, criticism, and advice we have received. I don’t expect anyone to like the regulator, but I do want professionals in primary care to think we are fair.

So that’s what I do – that and advising the chair and chief executive, attending numerous different committees and boards, speaking at conferences, writing articles, trying to ensure that the voice of clinicians is heard, and linking with external organisations like the General Medical Council.

As a GP I never knew what was going to happen next. In CQC I feel much the same. That’s what makes it fascinating."