Clinical Governance
HQSC have updated their high-level clinical governance framework "Collaborating for quality: A framework for clinical governance". RNZCGP advise that general practices should continue to use the 2017 guidelines (linked below) while they work with HQSC on a transition to the 2024 guidance.
Clinical governance is a "framework through which organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care, by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish." Source: National Health Service UK (NHS). |
Policy
See HQSC: Clinical Governance Framework 2017: Guidance for Health and Disability Providers.
Do you want to provide your own policy statement?
We are committed to following a structured, organisation-based approach to improving the quality of our service and standard of care.
We follow a clinical governance framework to connect and coordinate all patient safety and quality improvement initiatives at our practice.
We apply an equity lens to all clinical governance activities.
We commit to clinical governance by:
- designating time and resources to clinical governance
- having designated roles to support clinical governance and including these responsibilities in position descriptions.
We identify our quality and safety goals in a quality plan and check progress against this at meetings.
Delivering clinical governance
We have designated roles to support clinical governance:
Our team plan, organise, and prioritise activities in the core elements of clinical governance. This ensures governance and management are connected and accountable.
1. Patient engagement and participation
2. Clinical effectiveness, including equitable outcomes
3. Quality improvement/patient safety/infection control
4. Engaged, effective workforce
Clinical governance procedure
Who is in your clinical governance team? Please provide their roles and tell us if the team has a different name.
The clinical governance team includes:
- clinical lead
- GPs
- nurse team leader
- practice manager
- receptionist
What changes do you need to the highlighted bullets? Tell us how often you hold meetings and how they are structured. This information is required for Foundation.
The standard agenda includes the core elements of clinical governance.
- The clinical governance team meets monthly.
- Meetings are chaired by the clinical lead.
- Any staff member can add agenda items by notifying the practice manager in writing by the Friday before the meeting.
- Practice participation is discussed with the wider team at the next team meeting.
- Minutes are emailed to all attendees, and a paper copy is placed on the shared staff noticeboard within 7 days.
Clinical governance documents
Our quality plan is compiled by the clinical governance team and contains goals for all the core elements of clinical governance. Progress is checked at each meeting, and the plan is reviewed annually.
Our quality plan contains all our quality improvement projects and actions, allowing us to map progress.
The Quality Plan must include all the requirements from the RNZCGP Foundation standard.
Send us your Quality Plan. This is required for Foundation. A RNZCGP template is available below.