Occupational Medicine Advance Access originally published online on March 3, 2006
Occupational Medicine 2006 56(4):272-274; doi:10.1093/occmed/kql001
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SHORT REPORT |
Clinical governance in UK commercial occupational health providers
Atos Origin, Norcliffe House, Station Road, Wilmslow, SK9 1BB, UK
Background Clinical governance has been introduced into health care in the United Kingdom as a means to improve quality. At present there is no legal duty for commercial occupational providers to implement this model.
Aim This preliminary study examined how commercial occupational health providers had implemented clinical governance.
Methods The senior clinical manager of commercial occupational health providers completed a questionnaire.
Results Fourteen of 17 organizations asked to participate completed the survey. Most of these had implemented some form of clinical governance. Patient and public involvement was attributed the least importance of potential components of clinical governance. Organizations were more likely to have systems to address poor clinical performance than encourage excellent performance.
Conclusions Commercial occupational health providers have implemented clinical governance. Its focus appears to be avoidance of failures rather than clinical excellence and patients. However, further work is needed to explore this more fully.
Keywords Management policy; occupational health services; quality management
Correspondence to: Richard Preece, Atos Origin, Norcliffe House, Station Road, Wilmslow, SK9 1BB, UK. e-mail: richard.preece{at}atosorigin.com