ABSTRACT
The origin of clinical governance is unmistakably political. History will show that its roots can be traced back to the election of the Labour administration in May 1997. The incoming government had pledged to abolish the internal market, correct inequalities in provision and to engage the public more productively in the debate about the planning and delivery of services. Two principles guided the development of a clinical governance (CG) strategy in the authors’ PCG. The first was to pursue lines of work which, if completed, could be expected to improve the clinical care of patients, to relieve their suffering, or to improve their health. The second was to endorse the responsibility of healthcare professionals to use the model of evidence-based practice always but only when it is appropriate. The authors’ CG team developed a policy of collaboration with the major stakeholders in the health community, namely the PCG board, the public, the primary care health professional community, and social services.
