Clinical Governance should be restored to its rightful place in the NHS

Elliot Bidgood, 28 August 2013

Today Dr Christoph Lees, Dr Mark Slack and Dr Paul Charlson of the Doctors’ Policy Research Group (DPRG) have questioned the extent to which the critical idea of Clinical Governance – “A framework through which NHS organisations are accountable for continually improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish” – is truly a part of the NHS’s day-to-day culture.

Though they acknowledge that the NHS is not alone among European nations in the facing this problem, the constant revelations and inquiries the NHS has seen of late show that complacency is not an option. Lees, Slack and Charlson therefore propose a variety of common-sense measures. They are as follows:

• The NHS should learn lessons from the airline industry about the importance of safety gains
• A more substantive approach to clinical audits (the way in which the NHS compares the quality of treatment episodes) should be taken
• A more learning-oriented attitude towards ‘significant events’ (incidents of notable system failure) is required
• We should avoid a criminal liability approach for what should be voluntary acts, so as to develop a positive safety culture
• A return to the previous approach to inspections, led by the Royal Colleges and focussed on clinical environments – as opposed to the “mechanistic” box-ticking ones we have now – would be beneficial

The DPRG feel that if this guidance is heeded, the NHS can re-empower its staff and restore Clinical Governance to its rightful place in the culture of the NHS, something that can only be good for patients.

Their commentary can be read in full here. For more information about the Doctors’ Policy Research Group visit their webpage here.