In Scotland there stands a national gap in clinical governance which results in blind spots and potential risk to patients. This article explores why Scotland is missing out and what needs to be done next.
Our nation is ideally placed to perform and contribute to UK-wide audit. The population size, the uniform governance structure, and the infrastructure and expertise should lend themselves to a world-leading approach to clinical audit and outcomes.
Despite this, Scotland doesn’t participate in an important programme for ensuring standards and safety in anaesthesia in the UK. The Safe Anaesthesia Liaison Group (SALG) is a long-standing collaborative project between the Royal College of Anaesthestists (RCoA) and the Association of Anaesthetists. Established in 2008, it aims to provide a central repository for anaesthesia-related patient-safety incidents. SALG then analyses, prioritises and takes appropriate action on reported incidents.