DH orders probe into CQC following board member’s criticisms

The Department of Health has ordered a probe into the Care Quality Commission following significant criticisms of its leadership from board member Kay Sheldon.

Sheldon called for CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower to resign in an outspoken attack on the leadership capability of the organisation, in evidence to the Mid-Staffordshire Hospital public inquiry.

Her criticisms included that the CQC board was prevented from effectively scrutinising the work of the management team

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We have ordered a review to quickly establish the facts around how Kay Sheldon’s raising of concerns about the CQC were handled.”

She said this was separate from a longer-term review for the DH of the capability and performance of the CQC, which will examine the effectiveness of the regulator’s board.

Bower was due to go before the House of Commons public accounts committee today to answer criticisms raised in a recent critical report from the National Audit Office, which concluded that the CQC did not provide value for money.

However, the session, which was also due to hear from the DH’s top civil servant, has been postponed until the New Year, reportedly because of prime minister David Cameron’s statement to Parliament on last week’s meeting of the European Union council.