Monday 24 June 2013

Probably not the best trump card to play

Cynthia Bower, former Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
"We had to learn on the job.”

Not exactly what you might expect after a career in the NHS which included Director of Primary Care at Birmingham Health Authority, Chief Executive of Birmingham Specialist Community Health NHS Trust, Chief Executive of South Birmingham PCT, Managing Director of Birmingham and the Black Country SHA, Chief Executive of NHS West Midlands, which lead to being appointed Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission on a salary of £195,000.

I've been hung out to dry': Woman at centre of NHS cover-up scandal denies she deleted baby deaths report

EXCLUSIVE Regulator says she is considering legal action after being blamed for alleged cover-up, without having the chance to tell her side of the story - until now ...
She admitted the CQC inspection process had failed to uncover failings at the Morecambe Bay trust. “We should have registered it with conditions,” she said. But she could not say what action the CQC took to improve inspections. “Many changes were already in place. We had to learn on the job.” 

She said she was “taking legal advice” on how to respond to the allegations. “I am unemployable. I have been accused of suppressing a report about babies dying in hospital. Who wants to give me a job?”

A former director of operations at the CQC claimed yesterday he was sacked after raising serious concerns about the way the regulator was run.

David Johnstone said he was escorted off the premises then hit with a gagging order after putting together a plan to introduce fundamental changes in the organisation.

6 comments:

Brian, follower of Deornoth said...

I think this is excellent news. When she sues, it will be perfectly in order to publish her address and telephone number.

Leg-iron said...

“I am unemployable. I have been accused of suppressing a report about babies dying in hospital. Who wants to give me a job?”

All the other NHS trusts who want reports suppressed, perhaps?

James Higham said...

"We had to learn on the job.”

F*** me [and you know I don't swear terribly much, Mark].

Lola said...

Just been dealing with a NICE appartchik. I was told that NICE was a good thing 'because it created a uniform standard throughout the country on which the Medical propfession could rely'. As this person was going to spend money with me I restrained myself from pointing out thatr (a) NICE's flawed guidance had nearly killed me and (b) what is needed is not one common standard but competing standards argued fiercely.

Richard T said...

So remind me. Who was it who worked with the Chairman of the CQC to get the whistle-blower on Mid Staffs sacked?

Bayard said...

“I am unemployable."

What she means is that they have actually stopped the gravy train and kicked her off. That's not fair. Everyone knows you stay on the gravy train for life.

Bet she's got a nice big public-sector pension to keep the wolf from the door.