Clinical governance is not about compliance. High performing health services achieve great outcomes by taking actions that go beyond compliance.

At The Skin Hospital, these actions include:

• Creating a vision for the future that is clearly communicated and contains specific and quantifiable goals for improving care
• Meaningful consumer partnerships where the consumer is at the centre of care and viewed as a critical partner in the design and delivery of healthcare
• Developing the organisational culture where a ‘just’ culture exists with staff who are supported, and their wellbeing prioritised
• An environment that nurtures continual learning and improvement where staff are provided with opportunities and encouragement to further their skill set and qualifications
• Meaningful clinical leadership where strong, transparent, supportive, and accessible leadership fosters a culture of learning, accountability, and openness, with strong clinical engagement
• Supportive teamwork where staff are supported at all levels of the organisation by skilled management
• A keen focus on quality improvement where established methods and data are used to drive and design actions to improve safety and quality

The Skin Hospital is committed to delivering excellence in quality care and providing the highest possible levels of patient clinical safety. We recognise that we must continue to monitor and continually raise our standard of care by reporting, reviewing, and responding to our performance. The purpose of our Clinical Governance Framework is to demonstrate our commitment to the quality and safety of our patients.

Informed risk-taking and the effective management of risk is vital in supporting The Skin Hospital to achieve its strategic objectives. To be commercially & clinically relevant, effective and promote performance and good governance, risk management should:

• Create and protect value
• Be integrated into decision-making and organisational processes
• Help make informed choices to enable allocation of scarce resources
• Be focused on managing uncertainty
• Be tailored, practical and fit-for-purpose
• Be dynamic and responsive to changes in its operating context
• Evolve in step with the organisation’s maturity

To achieve this The Skin Hospital has developed a Risk Management Framework that sets the foundations and arrangements for designing, implementing, monitoring and improving risk management.

The Risk Management Framework outlines the overall approach for managing risk including:

• The principles underpinning risk management
• Roles and responsibilities related to the management of risk
• The process for managing risk
• The criteria for assessing risk
• Guidance for reporting and escalation of risks.