Clinical and healthcare governance plays a crucial role in handling the well-being of patients. It is the primary duty of Healthcare professionals to address and treat cases with care and utmost precision. High-quality service to the patients can only be delivered if rules and regulations are strictly followed and carefully implemented.
Harold Shipman's case presents an unfortunate and disappointing scenario wherein a British doctor or General practitioner murdered around 250 of his patients, most of them elderly. This vividly explains what can happen if clinical governance isn't adequately taken care of.Looking at the current scenario, when the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, countries and their healthcare systems weren't prepared. Lack of proper governance led to havoc and chaos in many countries, including Italy, Germany, India, China, etc.
Impact
When a doctor like Harold Shipman does something like this, it becomes a disheartening and moreover a horrifying incident for the society. It is important to take care of such events and try to reduce them as much as possible. Even a single case like this can become a nationwide or sometimes a worldwide phenomenon which can convert into a dangerous phobia. Just imagine the worst scenario possible, what if patients get scared and start treating themselves. Even a single case of Clinical governance failure can sow seeds of trust issues in the minds of patients and the general public. The primary aim of any healthcare institution or Governance body should be to ensure that no negligence occurs and if something goes wrong, the same should be wisely disclosed. Open disclosure makes the general public feel respected. They realize that the institution in question values their dignity. Before openly disclosing about the error or mishappening, the incident should be thoroughly investigated.
Comparison
One can't easily compare Harold Shipman's case with that of the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne because the former one was a colossal failure of Clinical governance on humanitarian levels. However, the seriousness of the latter case can't also be ignored. A girl contracting HIV AIDS due to blood transfusion is a sad event. However, the hospital handled the issue with care and dignity. They released a press release and spoke publicly. The officials also expressed deep distress. The case was of negligence, but it was handled with grace.
Conclusion
Clinical governance is important as it provides a system of checks and balances in the society. Negligence can happen from anyone but it is important to keep a review of what is going on in the hospital. There should be a way of regulating what doctors are doing and one should try to keep things in check.
