Dr Arun Chopra Appointed as CQC’s First Chief Inspector of Mental Health
Dr Chopra brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as Medical Director of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland from 2020 to 2024.
His extensive contributions to mental health services have been nationally recognised; he is a recent recipient of the prestigious President’s Medal from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, awarded for outstanding commitment to improving the lives of individuals living with mental illness. Most recently, he returned to frontline clinical practice as a Consultant Inpatient Psychiatrist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
The introduction of the Chief Inspector of Mental Health role signals a significant milestone for the CQC. It highlights the critical importance of mental health services and the growing need for specialist expertise within the regulatory framework. This appointment is part of a wider restructuring at CQC, which will see the creation of four Chief Inspector roles, each dedicated to sector-specific leadership across mental health, hospitals, primary and community care, and adult social care and integrated care.
Sir Julian Hartley, Chief Executive of CQC, commented on Dr Chopra’s appointment:
“I’m delighted to welcome Arun to CQC as our first Chief Inspector of Mental Health. He has extensive experience of working to improve mental health services for people in Scotland and England, and I am confident that he will bring that experience to bear in leading our regulation of mental health services and encouraging improvement.
The recruitment of the Chief Inspectors is a key part of reestablishing CQC’s expertise. It is crucial that mental health is properly represented as part of that process. Arun’s appointment will help shape our regulation of the mental health sector and support the delivery of better care as we continue our journey to becoming the strong, effective regulator people need and deserve.”
Sir Julian also acknowledged the vital work of Chris Dzikiti, who has served as mental health lead since 2022. Mr Dzikiti will continue his leadership role as Interim Executive Director of Operations, supporting CQC’s ongoing efforts to strengthen operational delivery across all sectors.
Reflecting on his appointment, Dr Arun Chopra said:
“I’m honoured to have been appointed as the first Chief Inspector of Mental Health and excited about joining CQC at a time of significant change for the organisation.
My professional life has been dedicated to improving care for people who use mental health services – from delivering frontline psychiatric care, to safeguarding human rights at the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, and contributing to mental health law reform across England, Wales and Scotland.
I am absolutely committed to supporting mental health services to provide good, safe, person-centred care that helps people to recover. I look forward to working alongside people who use services, their families and carers, providers, and my colleagues at CQC to achieve this.”
At HLTH Group, we recognise the critical role that regulation plays in driving continuous improvement within mental health services. We look forward to seeing the positive impact Dr Chopra’s leadership will bring to the sector, ensuring safer, higher-quality care for those who need it most.