BMJ  2006;332:363-364 (11 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7537.363-c

Letter

Turning round NHS deficits

Clinical governance, 1998-2006: RIP

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—With these words, we were introduced to the idea of clinical governance: "A commitment to deliver high quality care should be at the heart of everyday clinical practice. In the past many health professionals have watched as board agendas and management meetings have become dominated by financial issues and activity targets. The government's white paper on the NHS in England outlines a new style of NHS that will redress this imbalance. For the first time, all health organisations will have a statutory duty to seek quality improvement through clinical governance."¹

I was doubtful about clinical governance, although pleased that financial matters were to be thought less important than clinical ones.

In the Guardian of 23 January, secretary of state Patricia Hewitt was reported to be demanding that financial management be once again put ahead of clinical objectives.² By 26 January, apparently responding to the earlier story, strong financial . . . [Full text of this article]

Southmead Hospital, Bristol BS10 5NB Nev.W.Goodman@bris.ac.uk

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