Clinical Governance is a systematic approach to maintaining and improving the quality of patient care within the NHS and other healthcare organisations.
The Seven Pillars of Clinical Governance
- Patient and Public Involvement
- Actively involves patients and the public in healthcare decision-making to ensure that care is centred around patient needs and preferences.
- Encourages feedback, complaints, and involvement in service planning to help identify areas for improvement.
- Clinical Audit
- Involves reviewing clinical practices and comparing them to established standards to identify discrepancies and areas for improvement.
- Helps healthcare teams to make data-driven adjustments to improve quality and consistency in care delivery.
- Risk Management
- Focuses on identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to prevent harm and improve patient safety.
- Utilises tools like incident reporting, root cause analysis, and preventive action to address potential hazards and reduce the likelihood of future errors.
- Clinical Effectiveness and Research
- Ensures that clinical practices are based on the latest evidence and best available research to provide effective, up-to-date care.
- Encourages healthcare providers to adopt guidelines and protocols informed by research, and to participate in or apply findings from clinical studies.
- Staffing and Staff Management
- Ensures that healthcare teams are well-trained, supported, and managed to provide high-quality care.
- This includes performance appraisals, professional development, and ensuring adequate staffing levels to meet patient needs safely.
- Education, Training, and Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
- Focuses on continuous learning and skill development to maintain a competent workforce.
- Includes ongoing training, updates on new procedures or treatments, and mandatory CPD to ensure all staff maintain necessary skills and knowledge.
- Information Management
- Involves accurate and secure record-keeping to support continuity of care, communication, and informed decision-making.
- Ensures that patient records, clinical data, and information systems are managed efficiently and responsibly, upholding confidentiality and data protection standards.