Health governance--its introduction in Lanarkshire Health Board.

Abstract

Objective: To describe an approach to implementing the principles of clinical governance in a Health Board setting.

Design: Using guidance from the Scottish Executive and The Faculty of Public Health Medicine to set up a health governance structure at Health Board level. Auditing current work to identify areas that required to be progressed.

Setting: Lanarkshire Health Board.

Results: A Health Governance Committee and a Health Governance Advisory Group, to support the work of the main committee, were set up at Board level. The Scottish Executive Governance Monitoring Template has been adapted to cover the main public health functions. Topics considered in the first year include qualifications, registration and CPD activity of Consultants in Public Health Medicine, audit of public health advice on gastro-intestinal illness, audit of DPH Annual Report and audit of items of business on Health Board agenda.

Conclusion: The model developed in Lanarkshire has a Health Governance Advisory Group which works in support of the main Health Governance Committee. This model works well in practice with much of the routine work being done by the Advisory Group. This has streamlined the work of the Health Governance Committee and facilitated its introduction.