ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at ways to apply the new clinical governance agenda through risk management—identifying the tools required to manage risk within primary care team practice. Clinical governance has been introduced with an aim of bringing together all of the components of good clinical practice and quality and arranging to measure and monitor them. Pharmaceutical companies are happy to support practices who feel they need more help with developing clinical initiatives. Both Commission for Health Improvement organisationally and the GMC, individually, seek to ensure the quality of clinical practice and services for patients, whilst continuously driving forward a concept of development, continued improvement, encouraging and sharing best practice. ‘Appraisal is to the individual professional as clinical governance is to organisations and services.’ Risk management during clinical procedures is primarily directed at patient outcome, but risks to clinical staff should also be considered.
