Responding to the government’s intervention in response to failings at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) the chief executive of NHS Providers, Sir Julian Hartley, said:

“Trust leaders will welcome this announcement.

“Based on their clear and consistent feedback, we have been calling for urgent reform of the CQC.

“We fully agree with these recommendations.

“Winning back credibility for the CQC will take a lot of work.

“We recognise the important role of regulation in the NHS, but for that to really add value you need good behaviours, effective leadership, the right expertise and close attention to the issues that matter.

“Our recent report Good quality regulation underlined the need for the CQC to focus more on support and improvement.

“There are elements in the current approach to build on, but the key is always in the implementation.

“We welcome the return of Professor Sir Mike Richards and look forward to continuing our close dialogue with Dr Penny Dash.”