Clinical Governance Flashcards
What is clinical governance?
- A framework through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services
- And safe guarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish
Why is clinical governance important?
- About being accountable, taking professional responsibility
- Having the right systems and processes in place and continuously improving what we do
- Fundamental element of healthcare practice- continuing process not event
WHAT ARE THE SEVEN STEPS IN CLINICAL GOVERNANCE? (IMPORTANT)
- Patient and public involvement
- Clinical Audit
- Risk management
- Clinical effectiveness
- Staff and staff management
- Use of information
- Premise standards
Why do we need to involve patient and public?
- Service improvement and redesign
- Practice leaflet
- Annual patient satisfaction survey
- Monitor medicines owed and out of stock
- Complaints and error procedures
- Make reasonable adjustments in line with disability act (DDA)
- Co-operate with inspections and reviews from NHS England
What is a clinical audit?
Process of improving care of patients by looking at what you are doing, learning from it and if necessary, changing practice
What is the clinical audit cycle?
- Decide criteria, agree standards
- Data collection
- Data analysis
- Identify causes of non achievement
- Implement changes
- Monitor progress
- Decide criteria and agree to the standards
Give some examples of audit examples?
- Advice on inhaler technique
- As directed instructions for use audit
- Health promotion travel health audit
- Lung cancer awareness audit
- Near misses audit
NHS based:
1. audit on smoking cessation
- how much do you drink?
- Know your waist measurement
What is risk management?
- Single most important risk factor
- Can’t eliminate risk
- Must manage risk
Describe the risks to staff in a pharmacy?
- Health and safety issues
- Financial loss (fridge failure, stock loss, prescription charge losses)
- Needle stick and chemical injury
- Violence in the workplace
Describe the risks to patients?
- Health and safety issues
- Poor standards of care and advice
- Poor service
- Dispensing errors
- Infection from pharmacy
- Breach of confidentiality
How do you ensure that the risks are managed?
- Appoint a clinical governance lead- who knows about clinical governance issues
- Other local NHS services and has authority to make decisions on CG issues
What are the robust systems in place to ensure management of stock integrity?
- Stock expiry date checks 3 months minimum
2. Reputable suppliers and premises suitable for medicines storage
What are the robust systems in place to ensure management of equipment maintenance?
- Fridge temperatures
- Thermometer calibration
- Blood pressure, cholesterol monitor service contract/recalibration
What are the robust systems in place to ensure management of appropriate waste disposal arrangements?
- Patient returned waste medicines procedures (infection, needle stick and chemical contamination risk)
- Clinical waste- sharps and needle stick injury procedures
- Confidential waste- shredders
What are the health and safety issues in community pharmacy?
- Fire
- Handling sharps
- Handling large or heavy objects
- Slips, trips and falls
- Dealing with dangerous chemicals
- Electrical safety
- Display screen equipment- risk assessment, equipment testing, safe practicing training, documentation