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New role for CQC chief inspector

Published on: 7 Jun 2022

The Care Quality Commission’s chief inspector of primary care is taking up a new role at the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch, it has been announced.

Rosie Benneyworth will start at HSIB as interim chief investigator in August after three years as the CQC’s chief inspector of primary medical services and integrated care. 

She said: “I have a longstanding interest in the quality and safety of care that people receive. We know that most people get good care in the NHS, but sometimes they don’t get the outcomes they need or things go wrong. In these circumstances, it is vital that as a system we reflect and learn from these events to improve the safety of care, and HSIB is in a prime position to be able to support this learning.”

Keith Conradi, who has led the HSIB since its launch in 2017, announced in November that he was retiring. He presided over 58 national safety investigations and more than 1,900 maternity investigations during his time as chief investigator.

Ian Trenholm, CQC chief executive, said: “I am immensely grateful to have worked with Rosie over the last three years… Her commitment to patient care, and understanding of designing and delivering good quality services, have been so valuable to the executive team.

“While I am sorry that Rosie is leaving us, I am delighted that she is going to such an important role – one which reflects her commitment to driving better care.”

HSIB is in the process of becoming the Health Services Safety Investigations Body in accordance with the recently passed Health and Care Act. This process, which is expected to be completed in April 2023, will see the organisation become an arm’s-length body of the Department of Health and Social Care. As part of these changes, a new national body will take over powers for maternity investigations

HSJ reported earlier this year that an external review into HSIB revealed “damaging” cultural problems, including bullying, sexism and racism.