CQC appoints first National Guardian for the freedom to speak up within the NHS

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has appointed Dame Eileen Sills DBE – the Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust – as the first National Guardian for speaking up safely within the NHS.
As the National Guardian for the freedom to speak up, Dame Eileen will help to lead a cultural change, initially within NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts, so that healthcare staff always feel confident and supported to raise concerns about patient care.
Dame Eileen has been Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust since 2005. She has been a registered nurse for over 30 years (since 1983), during which time she has held a number of general management and senior nursing leadership posts. Dame Eileen was awarded a CBE in 2003 for services to nursing and a DBE in January 2015.
Among her responsibilities as the National Guardian, Dame Eileen will lead, advise and support a network of individuals within NHS trusts, appointed as ‘local freedom to speak up guardians’, who will be responsible for developing a culture of openness at trust level.  She will also share good practice, report on national or common themes and identify any barriers that are preventing the NHS from having a truly safe and open culture.
Read the full story on the Care Quality Commission website here