Emily Townsend
Emily Townsend writes about patient safety and care quality nationally, including maternity services and regulators such as the CQC, and covers the West Midlands regional patch. Joining HSJ in October 2021, she previously covered mental health, learning disabilities and autism. She was an investigations correspondent across two flagship daily titles at regional publisher Archant. In 2023, she was named among the best national journalists under 30 years old, winning a gold award for her reporting at HSJ.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 020 3307 6126
- Email:
- emily.townsend@hsj.co.uk
- News
Concerns over ‘essential’ newborn breathing equipment at one in five hospitals
One in five recent inspections of maternity services have raised concerns over “essential” breathing equipment for newborn babies, HSJ has found.
- News
New CQC inspections postponed until after election
The Care Quality Commission is postponing its long-awaited inspections of integrated care systems even further as it plans to seek approval from a new government, it has announced.
- HSJ Local
‘Culture of bullying and undermining’ uncovered in trust’s maternity service
Trainee midwives at a struggling trust have raised serious concerns about bullying and feeling afraid to speak up, an NHS England report has revealed.
- HSJ Local
New hospital set to open with £40m running cost gap
A new hospital which has taken over a decade to deliver will open without all the funding needed to run it, the trust’s chief executive has warned.
- HSJ Local
Maternity-scandal trust to share chair with neighbour
A struggling acute trust has announced plans to share a chair with its neighbouring community provider.
- HSJ Local
Trusts red-listed because of failure to connect to ‘critical’ safety system
Some of the country’s largest trusts could be left without an automated safety incident reporting system when NHS England removes the existing solution next month, HSJ has learned.
- HSJ Local
ICS’s ‘disgraceful’ racism report goes unpublished for over a year
A council leader has described the findings of a report into racism at an integrated care system – which board leaders sat on for over a year – as “nothing short of a disgrace”.
- HSJ Local
No acute trust now rated ‘inadequate’ as CQC upgrades troubled provider
The last acute trust deemed “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission has had its rating improved to “requires improvement”, the regulator has announced today.
- News
Exclusive: Ministers trigger review of CQC inspection regime
The government is launching a review of the Care Quality Commission and has appointed a senior NHS figure to lead it, HSJ understands.
- HSJ Local
Trust’s ‘leadership behaviour’ attacked by six ICBs
Six integrated care board chiefs in the Midlands have written to an ambulance trust over a “pattern of behaviour” they claim its leadership team has displayed since its Care Quality Commission rating was downgraded.
- News
Trusts with ‘distressing’ mixed-sex ward breaches blame poor estates
The trusts with the worst breach rates of mixed-sex ward rules in hospitals are revealed today by HSJ analysis after national levels hit a record high in 2023-24.
- News
Seven more avoidable sepsis deaths spark coroner warnings
Preventable deaths of seven people from sepsis – including four children – have prompted coroners to flag major concerns about NHS services’ management of the condition.
- News
New CQC inspections put on hold by ministers
The Care Quality Commission’s assessments of integrated care systems have been put on hold at the last minute, as the government declined to sign off on the process.
- HSJ Local
Patient experience is often ‘horrendously poor’ admits trust CEO
A trust chief executive has warned of the “dire” economic challenge facing his system, saying children and young people are already facing “horrendously poor” experiences due to dependency on out of area beds.
- News
Leaders urge review of single-word CQC ratings after headteacher death
Trust chiefs have collectively called for the Care Quality Commission to review its use of single-word inspection ratings, following MPs’ calls for an overhaul of Ofsted ratings for schools.
- CEO Interview
CEO interview: Richard Kirby, CEO of Birmingham Community Healthcare Foundation Trust
This is the latest in a series of interviews with provider chief executives, which are available exclusively to HSJ Insight subscribers.
- News
Decade long battle ends with decision on cancer services
Children’s cancer services in London and the south east will be hosted by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust, NHS England has announced, following more than a decade of safety concerns surrounding the current model.
- News
Just a quarter of CQC staff believe its leaders have the right values
The latest staff survey results for the Care Quality Commission suggest a significant drop in confidence in the regulator’s leaders.
- News
Exclusive: ‘Continuity risk’ to abortion services triggers national intervention
NHS England has told integrated care board leaders they must intervene over failures in abortion services in their patches amid “unprecedented demand” for such provision, HSJ has learned.
- HSJ Local
Trust’s leadership downgraded to ‘inadequate’
A teaching trust’s leadership has been rated “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission, as inspectors warned of a “genuine fear” of speaking up and staff feeling unsafe from bullying, sexual harassment, misogyny, and racism.