Anna van der Gaag is new HPC Chair

The Health Professions Council (HPC) has announced the appointment of SLT Dr Anna van der Gaag as its new chair.

The Appointments Commission handled Anna's appointment as part of the HPC's restructuring, to make it smaller and more board-like.

HPC Chief Executive Marc Seale congratulated Anna - who has served as HPC president since July 2006 - and said it is an exciting time for the Council, because new professions are set to join the register.

Practitioner psychologists will join on 1 July 2009 (also the official start date for the restructured Council), with other professions, such as hearing aid dispensers and psychotherapists to follow in coming years.

Anna is an SLT and honorary research fellow in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Glasgow.

Her recent work includes research on user involvement in decision making, e-learning in postgraduate education and improving communication between primary care practitioners and people with communication disabilities.

Responding to her appointment, Anna said, "I am very honoured to have been independently appointed as HPC chair.

"The HPC continues to welcome new challenges and I look forward to working with colleagues on the Council to improve our services and work with the professions to maintain high standards of good professional practice.

"I believe the HPC is set to make a significant contribution to public protection in the coming years as we take on new professions and help to build the evidence base of robust regulation.

"If we are to continue to be an effective regulator, good governance must be at the heart of what we do and I intend to ensure that this commitment is upheld."