Mike Richards to leave CQC

The chair of the Care Quality Commission is stepping down, just as the struggling regulator seeks a new chief executive.

Sir Mike Richards has been in the role for less than a year but in an announcement this lunchtime said the CQC’s turnaround “will demand a longer-term commitment as chair than I am able to make”.

The CQC was just about to go out to advert for a new CEO, following the resignation of Sir Julian Hartley last year.

Today Sir Mike said: “There is an urgent need to appoint a permanent CEO [and] after careful consideration, I believe it would be best for this appointment to be led by a new chair who can commit to providing long‑term continuity.”

Sir Mike was appointed to help recover the CQC, along with Sir Julian, after far-reaching leadership and operational failures were outlined in external reviews in 2024.

He was a chief inspector at the CQC about a decade ago and is widely respected for a range of senior national clinical leadership roles. Since 2022 he has been chair of the UK National Screening Committee and, as a former oncologist, has led work in recent years on improving diagnostics. 

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Source: HSJ, 6 February 2026