Clinical Governance

Clinical Governance is the framework and processes that are in place to ensure accountability for the continuous improvement to the quality of our services. At Western District Health Service we maintain a safe and effective environment for all – our patients, carers, our staff and visitors.

Clinicians and clinical teams are responsible and accountable for the safety and quality of care they provide. The Board of Directors, Chief Executive and management team are responsible and accountable for ensuring the systems and processes are in place to support clinicians in providing safe, high quality care and engage clinicians to participate in clinical governance activities. The Board of Directors has a key responsibility to oversee the clinical/patient care services of Western District Health Service, which includes ensuring that the Service does everything possible to enhance patient/client safety.

The clinical governance framework is the basis for directing the delegation of the clinical governance process within the Service, including ongoing monitoring and reporting. We foster a culture of risk awareness in which patient/client safety is paramount and is everyone’s responsibility.

We have robust quality improvement and risk management frameworks in place that support safe and effective care, and allow us to respond to areas of concern in a timely manner.

Our key principles are:

  • Strong focus on consumer participation and outcomes and their experiences of care
  • Building a culture of trust, honesty and respect amongst all participants within the system
  • Organisational commitment to continuous improvement and enhancing clinical care
  • Rigorous monitoring, reporting, response and evaluation systems for organisational performance are in place
  • Building clinical leadership and ownership
  • Robust information and performance systems to support governance of health service performance
  • Rewarding good performance in quality and safety.
  • We have a solid structure of ongoing clinical supervision, regular performance appraisals and supported professional development. At WDHS, patients can have confidence in the knowledge that they are cared for by qualified medical, nursing and allied health professionals registered with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Medical staff are only appointed following approval by the Clinical Credentials Committee and the Clinical Appointments Advisory Committee, and finally following approval from the Board of Management.

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