Medical audit in Britain: what now and what next?

Public, political and professional pressure for formal medical audit is mounting in Britain, as in other countries. Within the National Health Service, the government has proposed that audit should be established by 1991 in hospitals and by 1992 in general practice. Prior to this proposal considerable progress had already been made by individual doctors and by national professional bodies. If this medical initiative is to be retained, doctors must be able to demonstrate that audit is universal, systematic and effective.