Clinical governance and infection control in the United Kingdom

The recent organizational changes in the NHS have at their core the concept of clinical governance. Although initially poorly defined and understood this term has now taken on a clear identity; placing quality alongside fiscal probity and corporate governance at the top of NHS priorities. Integral to clinical governance are the basic elements of clear national standards for services and treatments that are to be locally delivered through assured, monitored, high quality healthcare. It is within this framework that workers in infection control must develop their own methods of applying clinical governance. This review explores the implications that the strategy of clinical governance holds for the speciality of infection control, emphasizing the benefits its active adoption can bring and highlighting the key relevance of clinical risk management in this setting. It illustrates clinical governance as a tool to engage colleagues on a multidisciplinary front, most particularly the crucial link to senior Trust management. (C) 2001 The Hospital Infection Society.