Clinical audit in NHS acute and community trusts: a comparative analysis

Robin Dowie; Andrew Kennedy

doi:10.1108/14664100110397205

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British Journal of Clinical Governance

ISSN: 1466-4100
Currently published as: Clinical Governance: An International Journal
Incorporates: Clinical Performance and Quality Healthcare

Online from: 1996

Subject Area: Health Care Management/Healthcare

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Clinical audit in NHS acute and community trusts: a comparative analysis

Document Information:
Title:	Clinical audit in NHS acute and community trusts: a comparative analysis
Author(s):	Robin Dowie, (Robin Dowie is a Senior Research Fellow), Andrew Kennedy, (Andrew Kennedy is a Research Fellow, both in the Health Economics Research Group, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK.)
Citation:	Robin Dowie, Andrew Kennedy, (2001) "Clinical audit in NHS acute and community trusts: a comparative analysis", British Journal of Clinical Governance, Vol. 6 Iss: 2, pp.94 - 101
Keywords:	Audit, Governance, Managers, Projects, Trusts
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/14664100110397205 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	MCB UP Ltd
Abstract:	Clinical audit may undergo organisational change as the new primary care trusts assume responsibility for community health services. Very little has been published, however, about community-based audit. A survey of audit activities involving clinical audit staff was carried out in seven acute hospital trusts and seven community trusts in south east England in 1997. Audit staff completed survey forms for 65 acute projects and 75 community projects on defined topics. Managers in community trusts were much more likely to initiate audit projects or act as lead investigators than managers in the acute trusts, and they more frequently received copies of project reports. Clinical audit staff in community trusts participated more fully in the various phases of the audit process than staff in the acute trusts. If the best of the conventions for community audit practice are transferred to primary care trusts, the foundations of their clinical governance programmes should be strengthened.