"Consistently good healthcare which continually improves is our aim."

About the Report

In 2003, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) was given responsibility by the Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) for the following aspects of clinical governance across NHSScotland: overseeing standard setting, monitoring and supporting implementation.

The concept of clinical governance was introduced to NHSScotland in Designed to Care (SEHD 1997), the White Paper on improving Scotland s healthcare, with policy detailed in MEL(1998)75 and updated in MEL(2000)29. It was described as corporate accountability for clinical performance . More recently it has been described as the system for making sure that healthcare is safe and effective, that care is patient-centred and that the public are involved.

Clinical governance is intended to provide a framework for activities supporting the improvement of patient care through a commitment to high standards, reflective practice and risk management. This is achieved by ensuring that those providing services work in an environment that supports them and which places safety and quality of care at the top of the Board s governance agenda.

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has carried out an interim review of governance arrangements within NHSScotland, focussing specifically on the key issues of single-system working; clinical governance; risk management; and patient focus and public involvement.

Summary Document

The following document presents a summary of the work carried out by NHS QIS to produce the national overview and local report documents.

Summary Information (Word, 51K, 41 secs)

Summary Leaflet

Press Release

More summary information can be found by reading our press release.

National Overview

Clinical Governance and Risk Management National Overview 2005 (PDF, 9.32K, 4.25 mins)

Local Reports

Documents are in alphabetical order.

• Golden Jubilee National Hospital (PDF, 144, 40 secs)
• NHS 24 (PDF, 136K, 38 secs)
• NHS Argyll and Clyde (PDF, 135K, 35 secs)
• NHS Ayrshire and Arran (PDF, 144K, 40 secs)
• NHS Borders (PDF, 134K, 38 secs)
• NHS Dumfries and Galloway (PDF, 145K, 41 secs)
• NHS Education Scotland (PDF, 145K, 41 secs)
• NHS Fife (PDF, 135K, 38 secs)
• NHS Forth Valley (PDF, 144, 40 secs)
• NHS Grampian (PDF, 144, 40 secs)
• NHS Greater Glasgow (PDF, 135K, 38 secs)
• NHS Health Scotland (PDF, 136K, 38 secs)
• NHS Highland (PDF, 139K, 39 secs)
• NHS Lanarkshire (PDF, 131K, 37 secs)
• NHS Lothian (PDF, 150K, 38 secs)
• NHS National Services Scotland (PDF, 140K, 49 secs)
• NHS Orkney (PDF, 131K, 37 secs)
• NHS Shetland (PDF, 144K, 40 secs)
• NHS Tayside (PDF, 148K, 42 secs)
• NHS Western Isles (PDF, 144K, 40 secs)
• Scottish Ambulance Service (PDF, 133K, 37 secs)
• The State Hospitals Board for Scotland (PDF, 145K, 41 secs)

Clinical Governance and Risk Management Quality Assurance Report

This report provides the results and recommendations from the quality assurance (QA) exercise commissioned by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) to determine whether the interim peer review of clinical governance and risk management provides a sound basis for a future review model. The aim of the QA exercise is to learn from the interim review process. The learning outcomes will be used to inform both the next stage of the development of standards and the review process for the finalised standards.

Clinical Governance and Risk Management Quality Assurance Report (PDF, 84K, 23 secs)