What is Clinical Governance?

What is Clinical Governance?

-by Bachchu Kailash Kaini

Clinical governance is widely used in the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. Department of Health published 'The New NHS: Modern and Dependable' in 1997 and formally introduced the clinical governance in the NHS (DoH, 1997). Different authors have defined clinical governance in different ways and linked it to quality improvement and assurance, accountability and openness. Sally and Donaldson (1991) define clinical governance as 'a system through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish'. McSherry and Haddock (1999) assert that clinical governance is 'a system which is able to demonstrate, in both primary and secondary care, that systems are in place guaranteeing clinical quality improvements at all levels of healthcare provision'. 

Clinical governance is a system of continuous improvement in care and health services through accountability, openness and shared learning. In simple term, clinical governance is about everyone knowing what is supposed to happen, and then making sure it does.  

Clinical governance has mainly the following six components:

• Risk management
• Clinical audit
• Clinical effectiveness
• Compliments and complaints
• Service users and staff experience
• Compliance and standards

Clinical governance:

• suggests to be answerable for your clinical action and performance.
• defines responsibility for learning and improving quality at every level
• reduces harm and improves patient safety
• reduces variations of clinical outcome
• gives you credible evidence of the best practice
• promotes transparency and openness
• bridges the gap in practice
• promotes and encourages good practice
• minimises and mitigates the health care and clinical risks
• is a way of learning and sharing
• improves quality of care

For further information on clinical governance, risk management, clinical audit and clinical effectiveness, please contact Bachchu Kailash Kaini via email bkkaini@gmail.com

References: 

Department of Health (1997). The New NHS: Modern and Dependable. London: HMSO.

Sally, G. and Donaldson, L.J. (1998). Clinical governance and the drive for quality improvement in the new NHS in England. British Medical Journal 317(7150) 4 July pp.61-65.

McSherry, R. and Haddock, J. (1999). Evidence based health care: its place within clinical governance. British Journal of Nursing. 8(2). pp.113-17