Clinical Governance

We joined our NHS colleagues in supporting the principles of Clinical Governance by appointing a Head of Clinical Governance in January 2001.

Clinical Governance includes Education and Training, Research and Development, Practice Development, Clinical Audit, User Involvement and Risk Management.

Jan Codling is responsible for co-ordinating the development of systems that both measure the quality of care provided and identifies and addresses any shortfalls, in consultation with service providers and other members of the Institute for Learning and Development.

Best Practice Award 2003

St Ann’s were delighted to receive a prestigious UK Charity award for best practice in 2003. This award recognised achievements in providing a quality service for patients and their carers which included:

• actions following an anonymous survey of bereaved carers
• systems used to evaluate the use of our 24 hour adviceline which is available to healthcare professionals and carers

Multi disciplinary Casenotes

St Ann’s introduced multi disciplinary casenotes in November 2002 to maximise team communication. This also reflects the NICE guidance published in 2004 “Improving Supportive and Palliative Care for Adults with Cancer “ , which highlighted the need for improved communication within the multi disciplinary team.

They have been evaluated through clinical audit methodology and the circulation of an anonymous questionnaire to staff contributing to or managing the casenotes.

Incident and Near Miss Reporting

An organisation wide incident/near miss reporting system for clinical and non clinical staff was launched on 1st February 2005 following extensive staff training. Quarterly Reports summarising incidents/near miss reporting and their subsequent actions are circulated organisationally.

Clinical Audit

Audits planned for 2007/2008 include:

• Care of the Dying Reaudit
• Aspects of the Complementary Therapy Service
• Patient falls
• Pain assessment
  

Gaining User Views

• Organisational use of an anonymous comments scheme available to patients, carers, staff and external visitors with monthly feedback is ongoing.
• Jan Codling chairs :
  - The National working group set up by Help the Hospices which developed a nationally available patient satisfaction questionnaire endorsed by the Care Standards Commission
  
  - A Patient/Carer User Group which meets quarterly. Please contact Jan Codling on 0161 498 3625 or jcodling@sah.org.uk if you would be interested in joining this group.
  

External Conferences

The National Patient Survey and St Ann’s Incident Reporting System were selected for Poster presentation at the European Association for Palliative Care Conference held in June 2007. The Incident Reporting System was voted in the top 10 out of 250 posters submitted.

The National Patient Survey was also presented at the Help the Hospice National Conference held in for October.

St Ann’s Clinical Governance Conference

A third Clinical Governance Conference took place in November 2007 where topics included Incident Reporting, Infection Control, Practice Development and Copying patient letters. The theme was how Clinical Governance triggers changes in practice.