Structured clinical audits: Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, UK: A response to Collins et al. (2005), “Improving the reporting of clinical audits in the NHS”, Clinical Governance: An International Journal, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 190‐5

Abstract

Purpose

To audit all the clinical audits conducted by the anaesthetic department at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, from August 2004 to July 2005 against recommendations published in the paper “Improving the reporting of clinical audits in the NHS”.

Design/methodology/approach

The standards used were a central system of recording ongoing and completed projects, adequate methodological details with each audit, action plan with each audit, follow‐up of action plan and closing the loop for each audit.

Findings

A problem was identified regarding unfinished projects when trainees move on to other hospitals. Changes have been made to solve that problem.

Research limitations/implications

Only audits from one department were audited. If all the audits from the whole hospital are examined, more problems with reporting audits may be found.

Practical implications

A structured audit programme driven by local issues has enabled the study department's services to improve continuously.

Originality/value

This paper tries to show the usefulness of audits in bringing improvements to the NHS.

Citation

Shah, M. and Gould, G. (2006), "Structured clinical audits: Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, UK: A response to Collins et al. (2005), “Improving the reporting of clinical audits in the NHS”, Clinical Governance: An International Journal, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 190‐5", Clinical Governance: An International Journal, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 137-140. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777270610660529