Interim chief executive to leave CQC

Kate Terroni, interim chief executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), has announced she is leaving the organisation.

James Bullion, who acted as interim chief executive during Terroni’s recent leave of absence, will continue in the role until Sir Julian Hartley takes over as CQC’s permanent chief executive.

Terroni will step down as interim CEO effective immediately. Until her departure from CQC, she will work directly with chairman Ian Dilks to plan Sir Julian’s arrival.

“In early September, I informed the chairman of my decision not to apply for the permanent CEO position as I recognized the need for new leadership to move us forward,” Terroni said. “It has been a tremendous honor to serve as interim CEO, but it has also been a very challenging experience and I needed to take some time to understand the impact it has had on me.”

She added: “It got me thinking about what comes next – my career has been non-stop for the last 22 years, driven by the desire to make a difference for people who use services, but now I want to take some time to think about what the next 22 years might look like.”

Dilks said: “I want to thank Kate for her enormous contribution to the CQC as chief inspector of adult social care, deputy chief executive and, most recently, interim chief executive.”

He added: “She has taken on this latest role at a particularly difficult time for the organisation. Her openness in recognizing that we needed radical improvements – and the plans she began to develop to make this happen – helped lay the groundwork for the work we have ahead of us to respond to the Dash review and Sir Mike Richards report and rebuild the trust of the public, suppliers services and our employees.