Audit

Pilgrims Hospices have a well-established Clinical Audit department to assist with maintaining the quality of our services. The hospice monitors quality of service through its Clinical Governance Committee.

Clinical Audit is a method used to measure the practice of our multi-professional team against standards of care. We can use the audits to find out if we meet the standards for maintaining control of infection, for example, or standards of referral for admission. Over the last six years we have completed 75 audits of various subjects. This has provided evidence that we offer our patients a high standard of care and has also provided information that has enabled us to develop and improve our services. One of those services is the provision of care to non-cancer patients. Another series of audits has been helpful towards our bereavement services.

The Department of Health requires us to comply with National Minimum Standards. We can ensure we measure up to these standards by running an annual Patient Survey. The survey we use has been developed across the United Kingdom for hospices in association with Help the Hospices and we were a contributor to its development. All the surveys from hospices nationally are analysed and reported by an independent institution, the Centre for Health Service Studies at the University of Kent at Canterbury. Last year's report (2007) is available from our Audit Facilitator.

Pilgrims is also a contributor to the National Audit Tools Group, again sponsored by Help the Hospices. This was established to identify key topics and to develop audit "tools" that are accessible for all hospices in the United Kingdom to use. There are three tools that have been made available and more in the pipeline. Details are available on the Help the Hospices web site.

Research and audit are closely linked. In some circumstances, where audit might lead to research or where the results of an audit are worth publishing, the Local Research Ethics Committee may need to be consulted. We have established a good working relationship with the Ethics Committee.

Further information can be obtained from:

Simon Fisher
Clinical Audit Facilitator
Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent
Hythe Road
Willesborough
Ashford
TN24 0NE

Direct Line Tel: 01233 504117
Fax: 01233 504132
Email: simon_fisher@pilgrimshospice.org