CQC boss quits amid Leeds maternity investigation into trust he led for decade
The chief executive of England’s hospital regulator has stepped down following the announcement of an independent inquiry into maternity care at the Leeds NHS trust he led for a decade.
Sir Julian Hartley raised concerns that his position at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) “may undermine trust and confidence” in the regulator.
He was previously chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for 10 years until 2023.
Earlier this week, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced an inquiry into the trust, after a BBC investigation revealed the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers over the past five years may have been prevented.
Following the announcement, the parents said they felt gaslit, dismissed and even blamed for what went wrong.
It was only earlier this year that the CQC itself downgraded maternity services in Leeds from “good” to inadequate”.
In a statement following Sir Julian’s announcement, the Bereaved and Harmed Families in Leeds said his appointment had “always been a scandal hiding in plain sight”.
“Julian Harley should never have been allowed to become the CEO of the CQC and it raises serious questions about the quality and thoroughness of the recruitment processes,” it continued.
“Once again, just as it has been down to bereaved families to prove the total failings of the CQC in their inspection processes and lack of regulatory action in Leeds, this now, again, has fallen on the families to highlight.
“We have always known Julian Harley’s position at the CQC was untenable, and so we welcome this development.”
Sir Julian said it was an “incredibly difficult decision”, but feels his current post “has become incompatible with the important conversations happening about care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust”, which includes the time he was chief executive there.
He said: “I am so sorry for the fact that some families suffered harm and loss during this time.
“I will be giving whatever support I can to the inquiry into maternity services at Leeds, so families get the transparency and answers that they need and deserve – and I want to avoid my connection with the trust impacting on CQC’s work to rebuild people’s confidence in the regulator.”
Following his comments, the Bereaved and Harmed Families added: “Let’s be clear, we are not ‘some families’. We are already an enormous group that is growing at an alarming rate.
“Only time will tell how horrific that number will actually be, but one thing is for certain, we do not accept his apology.”
Mr Streeting told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour yesterday that he is “drawing up a potential list” of candidates to lead the Leeds inquiry.
“I listened to families in Leeds last week about the sort of person they would want,” he said.
It comes amid calls from the families that Donna Ockenden should head the probe.
However, Mr Streeting said the senior midwife will not be appointed as she is leading work on maternity services in Nottingham, Shrewsbury and Telford.
He said: “If I could clone her, I would. But the challenge I’ve got – and it’s not just in Leeds, but in other parts of the country – because Donna has earned the trust of the families that she’s working with, everyone wants Donna.”