Clinical audit at the heart of clinical effectiveness.

Clinical audit is becoming an increasingly sophisticated process now practised by a majority of clinicians. A crucial tool enabling clinicians to improve their care, it involves structured review against agreed standards. Clinical audit is a key component of each of the elements of clinical effectiveness enabling health-care interventions to achieve what is intended in the most beneficial way. A national lead in the development and integration of clinical audit into everyday practice is provided in England, with Department of Health support, by the professional bodies responsible for setting and maintaining clinical standards. The Department of Health recently published a White Paper setting out Government intentions for a greater focus on quality in health. Included in these plans is a National Institute for Clinical Excellence to support and coordinate national clinical guideline and clinical audit development programmes, as well as a greater focus on the quality, effectiveness and outcomes of care.