Care Quality Commission appoints Emily Miles as Chief Executive
pharmafile | July 17, 2026 | Appointment | | Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has appointed Emily Miles as Chief Executive.
Miles joins CQC from her current role as Director General for Food, Farming and Biosecurity at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She will take over the role in October from interim Chief Executive Dr Arun Chopra, who will be returning to his substantive role of Chief Inspector of Mental Health.
Miles brings significant experience of regulation, including as CEO of the Food Standards Agency overseeing food safety and protecting the consumer interest in the food system across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Kay Boycott, Interim Chair of CQC said: “Emily’s experience leading organisations through challenging times, driving a high-performance culture, delivering large scale change programmes and rebuilding stakeholder trust will be invaluable as we continue to turn around CQC to do better for people who use, lead and work in health and care services.
“Emily’s experience of regulatory innovation will be also helpful as CQC adapts to the significant changes in the health and social care sector and uses our unique position in the regulatory landscape to help support improvement.”
Miles said: “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.”
This appointment follows the announcement by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, James Murray MP, that Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE is the preferred candidate for next Chair of CQC.
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 Boycott, a serving CQC non-executive director, will continue as Interim chair until the new chair is appointed.
