Career
She was created a life peer on 4 November 1997 as Baroness Young of Old Scone, of Old Scone in Perth and Kinross. Baroness Young is currently the Chief Executive of health charity Diabetes United Kingdom, a position she took up on 1 November 2010. Before joining Diabetes United Kingdom, Young was involved in the establishment of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Then Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced the appointment of Baroness Young as chair of the organisation on 15 April 2008.
The announcement followed an independent recruitment exercise conducted by the Appointments Commission and a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing. by the Health Select Committee, which subsequently endorsed Barbara Young for appointment as the CQC chairman She held this position until 1 February 2010.
Prior to taking up the post of chair of the CQC, Barbara Young was the chief executive of the Environment Agency (2000 – May 2008), an appointment which led to her becoming a non-affiliated member in the House of Lords. Previously she had taken the Labour Party whip.
In 2010 Barbara Young was appointed Chancellor of Cranfield University.
