Dr Heather MacFarlane

Heather holds a Bsc (hon) in Biomedical sciences, graduating from King's College London in 2007. She was accepted on to the Graduate Scheme for Mölnlycke Healthcare, a medical solutions company which initially sparked her interest in management within the healthcare setting. She returned to university to study Medicine, graduating from KCL in 2015. She completed her Foundation training in South London and is now a General Practice registrar (ST3) in Kent.

Throughout her time in both medical school and in training, Heather has delivered Quality Improvement Projects, medical education programmes and published articles. She has won prizes for her medical education work at both local and regional events, presents at the Royal College of GPs and contributes to posters at national and international conferences. She takes an active role in her clinical training being a regional lead for the RCGP and co-char of the Quality Improvement Board among other positions.

In her spare time, Heather trains with a swimming team in Kent, a keen cook and is slowly perfecting the art of Swing dancing with Lindyhop lessons.

Having seen the NHS both from a business perspective whilst working in the healthcare industry, and now as a doctor in a clinical position, it became clear to her that there was a marked difference between how departments view working problems in healthcare. Supporting clinicians and trainee doctors to engage with those working 'behind the scenes' is certainly beneficial, yet it is just as important to support non-clinical staff in understanding the issues from a clinical perspective.

During her role of clinical fellow at the CQC, Heather will be working on forming Junior Doctor CQC focus groups, as well as working alongside and learning from experienced colleagues who are continually striving to improve patient outcomes.