A Critical Analysis of the Elements for Effective Clinical Governance.

Authors Avatar

Quality Centred Health Care Management   -  TMA2 -  Essay B

 

01/5415

A Critical Analysis of the Elements for Effective Clinical Governance

Quality Centred Health Care Management

Course Tutor – Simon Carr

January 2004

A Critical Analysis of the Elements for Effective Clinical Governance

Clinical Governance as the mechanism to ensure continuous improvement of quality care within the NHS was introduced as part of the Health Act in 1999. One of the more widely used generic definitions comes from Scally and Donaldson who suggest that clinical governance is:

“ A  system 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.”

                                        (Scally & Donaldson 1998, pp 61-65)

Other definitions (RCN 2003) discuss that nurses are already naturally involved in ensuring high standards of patient care through clinical audit and practice development, and that clinical governance is a means of structuring and co-ordinating quality improvement activities, with an added emphasis on risk management. Clinical governance encompasses all levels within the organisation and it is worthy of note that, at managerial level, it encompasses accountability for financial governance as well as the responsibility for ensuring delivery of the highest quality of care.

The Scottish Executive report Caring for Scotland (2001) outlined a number of key requirements for clinical governance:

  • “Staff must exercise accountability within frameworks laid down by professional regulatory bodies (such as the NMC)
  • Continuous quality improvement is the goal of the service
  • Continuing professional development is a key feature of the service
  • Clinical risk is identified and managed
  • Problems and complaints are used to promote learning and improve practice
  • Poor performance is recognised and actions taken to improve it”
Join now!

                                        (Caring for Scotland, 2001 p.32)

This essay will aim to critically analyse clinical governance from a number of key perspectives including delivery of care, evidence based practice, professional development, communication and support systems within the organisation, where concerns regarding practice can be raised safely.

The patients journey through the health care system has not always been an easy one. The Scottish Executive Health Department has taken steps in an attempt to improve this through the action plan “Our National Health: A Plan For Action, A Plan for Change”(2001)

The plan is to an extent based on Maxwell’s ...

This is a preview of the whole essay