IHPN announces recruitment for new Director of Regulation

IHPN, the membership body for independent healthcare providers across the UK, has announced that it is recruiting for a new Director of Regulation, following news that its current Director, Dawn Hodgkins, will leave the organisation in the autumn.

Dawn – who leads on all aspects of IHPN’s work on patient safety and quality, regulatory, workforce and digital across all four nations – joined the network in September 2020 during the Covid19 pandemic and played a key role in supporting members during this time, including ensuring the sector’s 150,000+ workforce gained access to the Covid vaccine as it was first rolled out.

In Dawn’s almost six year tenure at IHPN, she has led on a number of major pieces of work including the sector’s response to the Bishop of Norwich’s inquiry into Ian Paterson and Baroness Cumberlege’s Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review (IMMDS), and has overseen a significant improvement in the safety and quality of care in the sector, with CQC ratings for independent hospitals going from 75% being rated “good” or “outstanding” when she joined to 92% this year. Dawn has also led the way on data transparency in the sector – demonstrating the quality of care delivered by independent providers through the development of IHPN’s now annual national Quality & Safety report.

In addition to developing new guidance for the sector around MDT (multidisciplinary team) working and the role of Resident Doctors, Dawn has also led on the embedding IHPN’s Medical Practitioners Assurance Framework (MPAF) within independent healthcare providers. This framework supports clinical and medical governance and the oversight of medical practitioners in the independent healthcare sector – the principles of which are used by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in assessing how well-led independent services are, as well as being embedded within the NHS Standard Contract for providers delivering NHS-funded care. In March, IHPN announced it would be renewing the MPAF which will be led by Professor Sir Stephen Powis, former NHS National Medical Director, and Dawn will be staying on at IHPN to complete this review which will be published in the autumn.

Originally training as a nurse, Dawn has held senior roles in both the NHS and independent sector, as well as working for the CQC for over ten years. In recognition of her exceptional advocacy for nursing in the independent sector, Dawn was presented with an NHS Silver Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) award for Outstanding Service to Nursing in 2024 by NHS England’s then CNO Dame Ruth May.

IHPN has now begun recruiting for Dawn’s replacement and an announcement will be made later on this year.

David Hare, CEO of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), said:

‘In her role as Director of Regulation, Dawn has done an outstanding job in driving forward the patient safety agenda – navigating members through a hugely tumultuous period, from the pandemic to the ongoing changes in the healthcare regulatory world – and working with a vast array of stakeholders to ensure independent providers are seen as a core part of the safety and quality landscape.   

‘We will now begin recruiting for Dawn’s replacement who can further build on these fantastic achievements to ensure the Network is the strongest possible advocate for our members so that the safe, high quality and innovative services delivered by independent healthcare providers can be accessed by as many people as possible.’

Dawn Hodgkins, Director of Regulation at IHPN, said:

“It’s been an absolute privilege to work alongside members and colleagues across the wider healthcare system these last six years, and I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve achieved together to further improve the quality and safety of care delivered by independent providers.

“During this time IHPN’s membership has significantly expanded – taking on new healthcare specialties and services – and I’m now looking forward to handing over the baton in the autumn at what will be an exciting time as the health system and its regulatory landscape continues to evolve.”