Heart of England Foundation Trust chief executive Mark Newbold’s resignation prompted in part by regulatory intervention by Monitor over performance, was met with a lot of regret, and praise for his work, in readers’ comments on hsj.co.uk.

The way Dr Newbold is leaving seems to jar with the open, learning and quality focused approach he has enthusiastically championed in his time at the trust.

‘His resignation seems to jars with the open focused approach he championed’

Some readers, noting that Dr Newbold is a doctor, argue that the health service needs a different regime if it wants more medical chief executives.

This may be true.

It is also worth bearing in mind, though, that the service has many non-chief executive roles in which great clinical leadership is desperately needed, more valued, and perhaps less likely to be squandered.