Gary Needle
Gary is the Director of Methods at the Care Quality Commission, the national regulator of health and social care, established in April 2009.
Gary has approaching 30 years experience in health care management and regulation. He started his career as an NHS Management Trainee and spent 15 years in operational management posts in mental health and learning disability services and as a Director in an acute hospital.
Following a spell on secondment at the National Audit Office, Gary was appointed to a Director post in a health authority. In 1999, Gary was appointed to lead the Primary Care Group in Brighton and Hove and then to the post of Chief Executive of the Primary Care Trust.
In 2005, Gary took up a secondment with the Healthcare Commission leading on delivery of the Annual Health Check. He was appointed as Director of Assessment and Methods in 2007.
Gary is a Fellow of the Institute of Healthcare Management. He has a first degree in Economics and Geography from Keele University and a Masters degree in public health from Leeds University.
