Sir David Nicholson to step down as NHS boss

The NHS England chief executive will step down from his role next March.

Since the publication of the Francis report into serious failings of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Sir David, who was in charge of the regional health authority responsible for the trust for a short period while patients were being mistreated, has faced numerous calls to resign.

In March, he told MPs on the health select committee he was determined to carry on despite the furore over his involvement.

But in his letter to bosses announcing his retirement, he said “recent events continue to show that on occasion the NHS can still sometimes fail patients, their families and carers”.

He went on to say “this continues to be a matter of profound regret to me”.

‘Matter of profound regret’

Victoria Macdonald, health and social care correspondent for Channel 4 News, said: “I thought the decision was inevitable. My only surprise is that he will not be standing down until March 2013, which will have given him a year in charge of NHS England.”

Julie Bailey, from the campaign group Cure The NHS, has led the calls for the under-fire boss to resign.

Ms Bailey, who set up the group after her mother Bella died at Stafford Hospital in 2007, said that since the Mid Staffordshire public inquiry report was published, Sir David’s position had been “untenable”, adding: “It is fantastic news. This is the start of the cure for the NHS.

“We can start to look to the future now. He was part of the problem – not part of the solution.

“We now need a leader who will galvanise and inspire the front line, not bully them.”