A clinical governance framework for blood services

The elements of clinical governance, which ensure excellence in clinical care, can be applied to blood services. In this survey, their application in a range of blood providers was gauged, with the aim of identifying best practice and producing a generalizable framework.

The Medical Directors of members of the Alliance of Blood Operators surveyed how different elements of clinical governance operated within their organizations and developed recommendations applicable in the blood service environment.

The recommendations that emerged highlighted the importance of an organization's culture, with the delivery of optimal clinical governance being a corporate responsibility. Senior management must agree and promote a set of values to ensure that the system operates with the patient and donor at its heart. All staff should understand how their role fits into the 'journey to the patient', and a culture of openness promoted. Thus, reporting of errors and risks should be actively sought and praised, with penalties applied for concealment. Systems should exist to collect, analyse and escalate clinical outcomes, safety data, clinical risk assessments, incident reports and complaints to inform organizational learning.

Clinical governance principles from general health care can be applied within blood services to complement good manufacturing practice. This requires leadership, accountability, an open culture and a drive for continuous improvement and excellence in clinical care.