CQC Cover-Up: Jill Finney Denies Hiding Report

One of the women accused of covering up a critical report into the Care Quality Commission has defended not making it public.

Jill Finney, former deputy chief executive of the CQC, told Sky News the report was flawed because it was not "robust enough" about the organisation's failings.

And she insisted she had drawn it to Grant Thornton's attention when the company was commissioned to conduct an external review.

It comes as Cumbria Police have disclosed they are investigating whether any criminal offence may have occurred during the cover-up.

A spokesman said: "Cumbria Constabulary is considering the content of the lengthy CQC report that was released last week. A dedicated team of detectives will examine the report in detail and decide whether any further action is required."

The spokesman anticipated this would take three weeks.

Ms Finney is one of three people accused of hiding the results of an internal review into the deaths of babies at a Cumbria hospital.

Furness General Hospital where 19 people were tonight being treated for Legionnaires' disease

Furness General Hospital is at the focus of the row

Along with chief executive Cynthia Bower and media manager Anna Jefferson, she was allegedly present at a meeting where deleting the report was discussed.

More than 30 families have taken action against Furness General, which is run by Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, over deaths and injuries to mothers and babies since 2008.

The Trust was inspected in 2010 and given the all clear by the regulator but an official later produced a document showing this was flawed.

It is claimed bosses told him to destroy it to protect the regulator's reputation.

Ms Jefferson allegedly said: "Are you kidding me? This can never be in the public domain, nor subject to a freedom of information request - read my lips."

She has denied suggesting the report should be suppressed and now Ms Finney has told Sky News the comment was never made.

"I don't recognise that conversation with Anna. Anna was in the meeting with Cynthia where we discussed this report and we agreed this report required further work," she said.

She claimed the initial report had been "incomplete" because it concluded the CQC's regulatory activity had been sufficient.

Cynthia Bower (left) and Anna Jefferson (right)

"It was not sufficient and we should have done more. The report needed further work," she said. "It wasn't robust enough on us so people would have said that report wasn't of value."

Ms Finney insisted that she flagged up the initial report to Grant Thornton when they were appointed to organise an external review.

"I did not order the deletion of the report. When Grant Thornton were appointed the first thing I did was to say 'you must read this report'," she said.

The former executive admitted the CQC should have acted more quickly and done more when they realised the report was flawed.

But she defended herself amid questions about her qualifications for the £145,000 post of deputy chief executive, which she took on after being communications director,

"My entire background is in communications and being able to talk to people outside of the sector, brief people outside of the sector. I am not an expert on the health service," she said.

Ms Finney moved to the not-for-profit internet domain company Nominet in March but was fired last week when the row about the scandal erupted.

Ministers have been urged not to have a "knee jerk reaction" to the row and start a major overhaul of the CQC but to allow existing changes to take hold.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of council at the BMA, said: "I think it is absolutely not the time to decide we need to reorganise it all from top to bottom again."

Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter has claimed "institutional secrecy" was put ahead of patient safety in hospitals and at the CQC.

He linked the events in Morecambe Bay to the Mid-Staffs hospital scandal, claiming that a "rotten culture" had taken hold in the NHS.

"Both at the hospital where patients were supposed to be cared for, and the regulator which was supposed to be championing the vulnerable, the elderly and the sick," he wrote in The Telegraph.

"Again and again, a desire not to face up to the reality of poor care saw institutional secrecy put ahead of patient safety."

Adding to the controversy, former CQC director of operations David Johnstone claimed on Monday he was sacked after raising concerns about how it was being run.

He said he was escorted off the premises then hit with a gagging order after putting together a plan to introduce fundamental changes in the organisation.

Mr Johnson was only in his post for 13 weeks before he was fired by Ms Bower for suggesting the watchdog needed improving "right across the board".

He said he was legally prevented from speaking out and was left with the impression he would be "destroyed" if he disobeyed the order.

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