Homas sudden departure poses dilemma for Chai

17 Apr 03
Plans to create an all-powerful health service inspectorate were in chaos this week following the shock resignation of its chief executive elect. Peter Homa, who was appointed chief inspector of the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (Chai

18 April 2003

Plans to create an all-powerful health service inspectorate were in chaos this week following the shock resignation of its chief executive elect.

Peter Homa, who was appointed chief inspector of the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (Chai) in February, resigned on April 11, saying his working relationship with the body's chair, Sir Ian Kennedy, had collapsed.

Homa stood down from the £165,000 a year post, which he was due to take up full time next April, at Kennedy's request.

Homa's continuing role as chief executive of the Commission for Health Improvement (Chi) – one of the bodies that will be merged into the new watchdog – is likely to create further dissent.

It has been suggested the two men clashed over the way Chai would handle its inspections. While Chi has won over many in the health service by eschewing finger-pointing in favour of a softer, developmental approach, some believe Kennedy favours a more interventionist inspectorate in the mould of Ofsted.

Chi denied this was the source of the conflict. A spokesman said the men did not differ on policy.

'In a private sector company with a prominent chairman and a chief executive who have their own way of doing things, sometimes there is a clash of personalities. This is about chemistry,' he added.

And he insisted that Homa and Kennedy could work together to ensure Chi is merged into Chai.

'Given they don't have any disagreement about the direction of the new organisations, I don't think it's a problem. Their working relationship one step removed is okay.'

NHS Confederation chief executive Gill Morgan was shocked by the announcement, and said she hoped it would not affect the creation of Chai.

'Chai will be a critical part of the new architecture of the NHS and will have a crucial part to play in encouraging and improving innovation. Our top priority will be to ensure that it maintains its focus on quality improvement and delivery,' she added.

Dame Deirdre Hine, Chi's chair, said Homa's loss was a 'serious setback' for the new inspectorate. 'We feel he will be very difficult to replace in this role.'

The Department of Health said Chai would be established next April and it would advertise the vacant post soon.

The DoH quoted Homa as saying: 'Although, unfortunately, there were differences in approach, Sir Ian and I share the passion that Chai should be a major force for improvement.'

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