You are here: National clinical audit

National clinical audit is designed to improve patient outcomes across a wide range of medical, surgical and mental health conditions. Its purpose is to engage all healthcare professionals across England and Wales in systematic evaluation of their clinical practice against standards and to support and encourage improvement in the quality of treatment and care.

HQIP hosts the contract to manage and develop the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP). The programme comprises more than 20 clinical audits that cover care provided to people with a wide range of medical, surgical and mental health conditions and will be extended to other areas of healthcare that are considered a priority by the National Clinical Audit Advisory Group (NCAAG) and the Department of Health.

Funding for new national clinical audits
HQIP will normally invite applications for new national clinical audits in January each year, eg in January 2010. However this will only happen if funding is available.

HQIP offers support and training opportunities to national audits not funded through HQIP. We are always interested in finding out about the work of these audits in as much detail as they wish to supply. We are currently developing a mapping of such audits. To participate, complete and return this questionnaire.

HQIP is also now funding multi-site audits, which operate below the level of national audits but which may cover regional sites across the whole of England, Wales and beyond, for specialist conditions. For more information on this programme, click here.

See also: Support team | NCAAG | NCAPOP | National clinical audit guidelines