The development of clinical governance in the UK: its implications for rehabilitation medicine

Abstract

Clinical governance has been introduced in the UK as a mechanism to improve the quality of health services, and the professional performance of clinicians. Specialist societies have a pivotal role to play in developing systems to support its implementation in clinical practice. Rehabilitation medicine is a specialty characterised by closely integrated interdisciplinary teamwork. The particular issues that this poses for clinical governance may also be relevant to other specialities. This paper presents an overview of the development of audit and clinical governance procedures in the UK and their specific implications for rehabilitation medicine. It also summarises the work undertaken to date by the British Society for Rehabilitation Medicine towards implementation of clinical governance, to improve the quality of care offered to patients.