The NHS needs to change its approach to clinical audit and this book sets out the principles that should guide those changes. All NHS organisations are required to have a comprehensive programme of quality improvement activity that includes clinicians participating fully in audit. As a quality improvement tool audit can demonstrate that real efforts are being made by a dedicated hard-pressed staff to deliver high-quality professional care to all their patients. Clinical governance presents a new challenge - to take audit 'at its best' and incorporate it within organisation-wide approaches to quality. This book will help NHS organisations create the environment and use the methods to support best practice in clinical audit throughout the NHS. The book also includes a CD-ROM containing the full text with hyperlinks and a review of the evidence.