Clinical Governance and Policies

What is Clinical Governance?

Clinical Governance is fundamental to EMICS's culture, philosophy and activities. It includes:

• The quality of the treatment we provide patients
• Accountability
• Responsibility
• The equipment our clinicians use to treat patients
• Safety of the patients, clinicians and staff

In other words, excellence in everything we do as an organisation. Clinical Governance is the system of monitoring and continuously improving the quality of services to ensure we provide outstanding, safe care to all.

EMICS works closely with the NHS in adopting, complying with, and developing best practice. Clinical Governance promotes a learning atmosphere where clinician respect and open participation are valued. We recognise that much of our work is best delivered in multi-disciplinary team working — whether other team members are from the Ambulance Service or other Emergency Services. We view patients and their treatment as the key focus of our work.

Policies

All our doctors are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and obliged to follow the policies and standards of that organisation. As part of our own clinical governance, we check that our doctors are GMC members during our recruitment processes and through regular reviews of their status. Any non-compliance is escalated within our own organisation and to the doctor's professional body.

The key policies our doctors and paramedics work to:

Although these links are included with the permission of the GMC, we're bound to make it clear that there is no implied or other endorsement from that body of EMICS itself.

It should be noted that our non-clinical volunteers are expected to behave with dignity and respect for others irrespective of their ethnicity, beliefs etc, in line with the GMC's EDI policies. These volunteers are not engaged in activities which require us to seek safeguarding clearances for them.

Patient Privacy

Management of patient data is taken very seriously at EMICS. As a result, we have strict processes in place to ensure confidentiality of any information we gather as part of a patient's treatment. Information is recorded as part of a health record which is securely stored and only shared with those people that need to know that information — for example, the hospital that the patient might be transferred to or the ambulance service who might also be treating the patient or transferring them to hospital.

The records we keep relate to a patient's healthcare and help ensure that the patient receives the best possible treatment. Accurate and up-to-date information assists us in providing the patient with the right care and any subsequent healthcare professional connected with that treatment.

Organisations that process personal data must register as a "data controller" and notify the Information Commissioner (ICO) why they need to process personal information. EMICS is the data controller of personal information collected to assist us provide and manage the healthcare of our patients.

EMICS has a common-law duty to respect patients' data. Records are stored securely in line with NHS practice and General Data Protection Regulations. All our staff and particularly our clinicians are required to protect the patient's information. They are required to inform the patient how their information will be used and seek their consent before it is shared. This is recorded on the patient's records. Patients have a right to refuse or withdraw consent at any time. However, the possible consequences will be explained and could mean delays in the patient's treatment.

For more on how we handle data, see our Privacy Policy.