Governance in Healthcare

Governance in healthcare relates to both organizational and clinical governance. Organizational governance ensures that the healthcare facility operates efficiently and effectively, reducing the possibility of risk and keeping patients safe. The organization engages in strategic and workforce planning to ensure it is meeting the needs of consumers while also complying with all legal and fiduciary requirements. Expenditure is justified and transparent; executives are accountable for their stewardship activities. Clinical governance applies to the daily work that is conducted in emergency departments, wards, operating theaters, and specialist units, to provide the very best treatment and care for patients. Clinical risk is reduced when there is an adequate number and mix of staff, access to enough beds, and sufficient resources and equipment to deliver patient care. Adverse events are prevented when a patient safety culture is embedded into the very fabric of the organization. Research has shown that hospital executives and managers, by failing to recognize their role in developing a patient safety culture, may actually hinder error reporting and learning from excellence, particularly at critical times such as patient handovers and transitions. Cultural issues that need to be addressed when developing a patient safety culture include bullying and harassment.