Two nurse leaders are among the appointments to the government’s new Health Quality and Safety Commission interim board. Shelley Frost, director of nursing for Pegasus Health in Canterbury and former Nurse Maude Association chief executive Anthea Penny join chair Professor Alan Merry on the seven-member board. The creation of the independent commission is one of the recommendations of last year’s Ministerial Review Group (MRG) and replaces the disestablished Quality Improvement Committee. Health Minister Tony Ryall said legislation to establish the commission is now before the Health Select Committee and it hoped to have the new commission up and running later in the year. It would assist organisations in the secondary and primary sectors to improve patient safety and service quality.
