Implementing clinical governance – results of a year’s programme of semi‐structured visits to assess the development of clinical governance in West Midlands Trusts

Abstract

Aims to assess the development of clinical governance within NHS Trusts in the West Midlands by means of a cross‐sectional qualitative study based on in‐depth interviews and observation with all acute and non‐acute (n equals 43) Trusts in the West Midlands Region to determine the rating of Trusts’ competencies across five areas of clinical governance. There was a fourfold variation in the development of clinical governance across Trusts, measured against the identified competencies. Trusts with high competency scores showed a number of characteristics, including clear leadership at executive team level for the agenda, a collaborative style of working between clinicians and management, clinicians involved in management and a culture of openness and empowerment of front‐line staff. Concludes that attention must be paid to the organisational and cultural environment within Trusts, as well as resource issues, if high quality clinical governance is to become the norm

Citation

Grainger, C., Hopkinson, R., Barrett, V., Campbell, C., Chittenden, S., Griffiths, R., Low, D., Parker, J., Roy, A., Thompson, T. and Wilson, T. (2002), "Implementing clinical governance – results of a year’s programme of semi‐structured visits to assess the development of clinical governance in West Midlands Trusts", British Journal of Clinical Governance, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 177-186. https://doi.org/10.1108/14664100210438262