Resources

Watch an interactive and thought-provoking panel exploring the real-world challenges and opportunities of clinical governance in Hospital in the Home (HITH) and care-at-home models. With demand for safe, high-quality home-based care growing rapidly, this webinar brought together expertise from the Hospital in the Home Society, Health Roundtable, and the Australasian Institute of Clinical Governance (AICG) to unpack the governance frameworks needed to support care delivery beyond hospital walls.

Clinical governance, safety and quality, and compliance each play a vital role in healthcare. Together, they form the foundation for accountability, continuous improvement, and excellence in patient care.

In healthcare, the terms clinical governance and quality are often used interchangeably. While related, they are not the same—and understanding the difference matters.

Clinical governance can seem complex, but its essence is straightforward: creating an environment where everyone takes responsibility for improving care and making it safer. This blog explores how understanding the spirit—beyond its definitions—enables clinical governance to come alive in everyday practice.

Clinical governance can sometimes feel abstract - something that lives in policies, frameworks, or accreditation standards. However, at AICG, we believe that clinical governance should be operational, grounded in the day-to-day work of healthcare services.

Healthcare simulation has long been used for training individuals and teams—practising technical skills, emergency drills, communication, etc. Translational simulation goes further. It is simulation designed not just for learning, but to diagnose, test and improve real systems, workflows, and outcomes. 

When people talk about clinical governance frameworks, the conversation often turns to big documents, detailed diagrams, or long lists of standards. At AICG, we wanted to create a framework that is deliberately operational. It is designed so that boards, executives, clinicians, support staff, and consumers can immediately see where it fits, what it is responsible for, and how it can contribute to better outcomes.

The Seven Pillars of Clinical Governance framework outlines a comprehensive approach to delivering high-quality, safe healthcare within NHS organisations, emphasising seven interconnected domains. By integrating these pillars, healthcare organisations can align systems, practices, and culture around continuous improvement, accountability, and excellence in clinical care.

The Clinical Governance Training Package (October 2024) offers a structured, modular curriculum designed to embed clinical governance principles across NHS organisations. It covers foundational concepts—such as risk management, quality improvement, accountability, and patient safety—while also giving practical guidance on governance roles, performance measurement, and staff engagement.

A cause and effect diagram, also known as an Ishikawa or fishbone diagram, is a visual tool used to explore the potential causes of a problem. First developed by Kaoru Ishikawa in 1943 at Kawasaki Steel Works, these diagrams help teams systematically sort and relate factors that may contribute to an issue.