Clinical governance: assuring the sacred duty of trust to patients

To hammer home that clinical governance is the defining heart and inspiration of quality in the NHS and to expand on its implementation by all concerned.

Lists the ideal aspects and attributes of clinical governance.

Finds that clinical governance is a sine qua non and mandatory lever for achieving quality in the NHS and that whatever changes are necessary must be fully carried out.

Arguably, coming as it does from the top of the hierarchy, this posits the most soul‐searching advocacy of clinical governance's importance for the NHS so far presented.