Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals

NHS Foundation Trust

Mon Sep 14 2009

Clinical Audit

The Clinical Audit and Effectiveness department provides support to all Trust staff with a number of clinical quality improvement activities.  Activities include clinical audit, the development of care pathways for patient groups, national and local research and support to develop clinical policies and guidelines.  The department also provides training fro Trust staff to undertake these activities.

Staff in the department are additionally skilled in the use of 'Dr Foster' the national clinical benchmarking facility.  This system allows clinicians to compare key clinical performance indicators such as mortality, re-admissions and day-case activity with other peer groups.  Staff will train appropriate clinicians themselves in how to use the Dr Foster system to interrogate their own practice.  Alternatively, the department will provide reports for clinicians on request.

The department takes responsibility for the dissemination and audit of guidance coming down from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

The work of this department helps provide evidence on the quality of Trust services.