Our team works to ensure patients receive the highest quality of care possible, by monitoring the way we work and our systems and looking for ways to improve them.
Areas we examine to ensure we are working efficiently and to the highest standards include:
- consultation and patient involvement
- clinical risk management
- clinical audit
- research and effectiveness
- staffing and staff management
- education, training and continuing personal and professional development
- the use of information about patients’ experience, outcomes and processes
Key governance personnel
Dr Richard Grocott-Mason - interim medical director
Joy Godden - director of nursing and clinical governance
Dr Elizabeth Haxby - lead clinician for clinical risk (Royal Brompton Hospital)
Dr Jeremy Mitchell - lead clinician for clinical risk (Harefield Hospital)
Overview of the governance and quality department
The governance and quality directorate is charged with ''enhancing the safety and quality of the services the Trust provides'', by ensuring co-ordination of the work that goes on in the following areas:
Clinical audit and information
Co-ordinating and advising directorates on clinical audit projects, clinical outcomes, databases and indicators.
Clinical risk and risk management
Monitoring incident reports, investigating incidents and advising on patient safety.
Performance and information management
Reviewing and reporting on the Trust's performance against national and local targets.
Patient and public involvement
Co-ordinating and enhancing the role of patients and others to provide feedback, input and involvement in the way our services are run. Find out more.
Patient advice and liaison service (PALS)
Set up in every trust since 2002, offering a confidential and informal service to patients and careers. Find out more.
Tissue governance
Ensuring that the Trust is compliant with each of our Human Tissue Authority licences. Find out more.
Research and development
Ensuring that principles of good research governance are followed in every research project set up in the Trust. Find out more.
Infection prevention and control
Keeping the incidence of hospital infection to a minimum and dealing effectively with any infection problems and outbreaks. Find out more.
Complaints
Overseeing and co-ordinating the formal and verbal complaints received by the Trust. Find out more.
Relevant publications:
Department of Health (2001) Building a safer NHS for patients