Former acting head of NT health Janet Anderson has been appointed as the first Aged-Care Quality and Safety Commissioner by Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt.

Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt on Wednesday named Janet Anderson as the head of the new commission, which will begin as the aged-care regulator from the beginning of next year.

Draft legislation to merge the previous agency and commissioner are set for the Senate after passing the first hurdle of federal parliament last week.

Ms Anderson was last month named as the new head of ACT Health, but reportedly stepped down from the role in a matter of days.

She is currently working with the NT government to implement recommendations arising from the royal commission into the protection and detention of children in the territory.

The new agency will have a budget of almost $300 million over four years, Mr Wyatt said in a statement on Wednesday.

The agency is in addition to a recently announced royal commission into the aged-care sector.